Arsenal remain interested in one of Europe’s most exciting young talents, if reports are to be believed…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to The Telegraph, who claim that the Gunners are stepping up their pursuit of Joao Felix after deciding that they will not be dragged into a bidding war with Chelsea over Mykhailo Mudryk.

The 23-year-old has been noted as available for loan this month, but Atletico Madrid are demanding a high loan fee for just the six months that he would spend in north London.

Having fallen out of favour at Atletico, he remains the third-most expensive player in history following his €126m (£111m) transfer in 2019. However, Edu could be tempted to move for him, especially given Gabriel Jesus’ absence through injury.

He'd be a “special” signing

Although the price tag being demanded for a simple loan is quite high, the upside could be astronomical for Mikel Arteta.

Currently top of the Premier League table and five points clear of Manchester City, it feels like belief is truly returning to the Emirates Stadium that Arsenal could do the seemingly impossible, following recent struggles just to attain a place in the top four.

Adding Felix would only bolster a squad in seemingly unstoppable form, having only lost once in the league all season.

With four goals and three assists in just 13 matches in La Liga this term, it seems that despite a strained relationship with Diego Simeone, the Portugal forward has not lost his form.

He seems poised to improve upon his ten-goal and six-assist haul in all competitions from 2021/22, which led Antonio Rudiger to commend him as boasting “something special”.

What further compounds him as a truly creative master is that he ranks in the top 7% for assists and the top 12% for progressive passes among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues in 2022. He pairs this with a tally of non-penalty goals which places him in the top 14%, and he could provide sumptuous ammunition for the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Atletico's official Twitter admins dubbed him a “magician” in 2020.

Having clearly shown something truly exceptional to spur Atletico into buying him for such a vast sum, Jan Oblak remained complimentary of the 23-year-old superstar, confidently stating: “He will be a world-class player”.

Perhaps the Portugal star could realise this potential under Arteta, whilst possible helping Arsenal to achieve their first Premier League title triumph since 2004.