As reported by Portuguese outlet A Bola, Arsenal are interested in signing Porto's superstar midfielder Danilo and could land him for a fee of £34.5m.
What's the word?
With the likes of Granit Xhaka showing inconsistent form in the heart of Arsenal's midfield this season, the Gunners could do with some added quality and competition in the middle of the park.
Arsene Wenger apparently agrees, with A Bola reporting that Arsenal are tracking Portugal international Danilo and have sent scouts to check on his progress just this weekend.
The outlet reports that the midfielder has a transfer release clause of around £34.5m, a fee well within Arsene Wenger's budget.
If they want him, they can likely get him, and he has plenty of qualities that should be attracting admiration from Premier League clubs.
What Arsenal need?
A new type of defensive midfielder has transformed the Premier League in recent seasons. The likes of N'Golo Kante and Idrissa Gueye are now the prototype for a successful midfield at this level.
Their energetic, combative and dynamic displays have wowed supporters over the last 18 months and that's a style very much in line with Danilo's.
Strong in the air, quick with interceptions, tough in the tackle and classy with the pass, Danilo could be everything Arsenal are looking for in the heart of their midfield. They badly need a physical presence in there to give their more creative talent a platform to excel across a 90 minutes.
Danilo is in exceptional form this season both in the Portuguese top-flight and in the UEFA Champions league. That was exemplified in two recent man of the match performances against Chaves and Rio Ave where he scored a goal in each and generally dominated the midfield.
He's making progress in international football too, winning 16 caps for Portugal since making his debut in March 2015.
At the reported fee, he could prove to be a bargain in the long-term, considering he's only 25 years old.
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