According to a post by reliable Twitter user @ThePlugAFC, Arsenal are interested in bringing Monaco midfielder Fabinho, rated at £36m according to Transfermarkt, to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
What's the word, then?
Well, the north London outfit are likely to make big changes in defensive areas at the end of the season – especially if they miss out on qualification for the Champions League by finishing outside of the top four in the Premier League for the second successive campaign.
The post from @ThePlugAFC says the club want a right-back, two centre-backs and a defensive midfielder – presumably to replace Francis Coquelin following his move to Valencia during the January transfer window – and says Fabinho is one that the club likes and is interested in.
The Brazilian has been one of the French side's standout performers over the course of the last few seasons, and has also been linked with their top flight rivals Manchester United with a report earlier this month claiming they are favourites to land the 24-year-old.
How has Fabinho done this season?
The defensive midfielder – who also quite handily can play as a right-back – has made 35 appearances in all competitions for Monaco, scoring an impressive six goals and provided a further five assists.
Five of those goals have come in 24 Ligue 1 outings – including one in the 4-0 success against Dijon on Friday night – but that isn't the 24-year-old's main strength in his game and according to WhoScored.com, he has made 103 tackles in 29 appearances in the French top flight and Champions League during the current campaign.
The Brazilian has also made 32 interceptions, successfully completed 35 of the 47 dribbles he has attempted and has won 77 of the 120 aerial duels he has faced.
https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/fm2mc-aleximkhi.mp4
Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?
He certainly would be.
The Gunners are calling out for a midfielder that will just sit in front of the back four and protect them, and Fabinho would certainly do that even though he does have the ability to take ball forward too.
He would perhaps have to be more disciplined than he is at Monaco if he did move to the Emirates, and the fact that he can also play as a right-back will appeal to Wenger in case Hector Bellerin isn't fit to play in most matches.