Arsenal will offer a player in exchange for part to Sporting Lisbon prodigy Joelson Fernandes to lower the asking price by £ 40m.
Fernandes, who has been compared to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, is a hot property in Portugal where he has a tip for the top.
But the Gunners won’t pay for the release clause in his contract and hope to strike a deal for the 17-year-old.
Fernandes has received a new contract from Sporting but his representative Kia Joorabchian wants to plan a move and has close ties to Arsenal.
Borussia Dortmund and Juventus have also investigated the left winger, but Arsenal is believed to be the favorite to sign him.
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The Gunners are about to bring 32-year-old Brazilian winger Willian to the field after he left Chelsea as a free agent.
But Mikel Arteta also wants to increase the youth ranks in his squad and likes what he sees of Fernandes, who is a Portugal Under 17 international.
Arsenal will listen to offers this summer for a number of players, including Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Matteo Guendouzi, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny.
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But any partial trade for Fernandes is more likely to involve a young player on the fringes of the first team.
The North London club have been linked with a number of players this summer, including Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.
Arteta is believed to have identified Partey as a prime transfer target, but Atletico are unwilling to sell it for anything less than its £ 45m termination clause.
(Image: 2020 Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno)
That figure could be difficult for Arsenal to achieve, especially if they push forward with a deal to sign Fernandes from Sporting.
However, the Gunners could raise some cash by dumping a number of players this summer, such as Fulham targeting Calum Chambers.
The newly promoted Cottagers would be interested in a £ 12 million deal to sign Chambers, which would increase Arteta’s transfer.
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