Arsenal could well be considering making a move for Crystal Palace starlet Michael Olise this summer, with the high-flying Gunners having been named as a potential suitor for the promising youngster.
What's the word?
That's according to the Daily Mail, with journalist Sami Mokbel reporting that the north Londoners are one of the clubs currently 'monitoring' the 21-year-old, ahead of a potential swoop at the end of the season.
The report suggests, however, that the Eagles will 'not entertain' the notion of losing both the French youth international and teammate Wilfried Zaha this summer, with the latter man yet to commit his future to the club with just six months remaining on his existing deal.
The piece also adds that Palace removed a £35m buy-out clause from Olise's contract last year, ensuring that prising the playmaker from Selhurst Park could prove far tougher for Gunners sporting director, Edu.
Fabio Vieira upgrade
The former Reading ace has made a rather smooth transition to life in the Premier League since his £8m switch back in the summer of 2021, having already chipped in with 18 goals and assists in 52 games across all fronts for his current side to date.
That includes a haul of two goals and four assists in the top flight in the 2022/23 campaign thus far, with the highly-rated "baller" - as described by journalist Muhammad Butt - having notably produced a moment of magic in the draw at home to Manchester United earlier this week.
The £45k-per-week maestro stepped up in stoppage time to equalise for Patrick Vieira's men, doing so in stunning fashion with a sensational, dipping free-kick that evaded the sprawling David De Gea.
Not only did that masterful set piece catch the eye, but so too did Olise's nonchalant celebration in the aftermath, having arguably showcased just why he could well be destined to "play at the very highest levels of the game", according to Butt.
Should Edu and co opt to bring the London-born dynamo to the Emirates any time soon, he could well prove a notable upgrade on summer arrival, Fabio Vieira, with the Portuguese midfielder currently struggling to make his mark in English football.
The 23-year-old has thus far failed to warrant his rather hefty £34m price tag after scoring just once and laying on only one assist in the league this term, having notably endured an "absolute howler" of a performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, in the words of GOAL's Charles Watts.
The former Porto man's woes are also laid bare by his struggles in possession of late as he ranks in just the bottom 27% in Europe among those in his position for dribbles completed, while that man Olise ranks in the top 19% in that regard.
Equally, the Palace sensation also appears to offer far more defensively as he ranks in the top 3% for blocks made and the top 14% for tackles made, while Vieira only ranks in the bottom 1% and the bottom 11% for the same two metrics respectively.
That should indicate that even though the new addition has only been in the door for a matter of months, Mikel Arteta's side could secure a playmaking upgrade by winning the race for Olise this summer.