Arsenal hold a "concrete interest" in signing Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor.
What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?
The main ongoing saga involving Arsenal is their pursuit of Declan Rice, with West Ham United recently encouraging them to lodge a third bid to ensure they win the race for his signature, amid interest from treble-winners Manchester City.
Rice is not the Gunners' only midfield target, however, with a move for Brighton's Moises Caicedo still on the cards, with Mikel Arteta looking to bring in multiple options in the engine room, in light of Granit Xhaka's departure.
Arteta has also set his sights on Lavia, with the north London club currently leading the race for his signature, and there has now been an update regarding their pursuit of the Southampton midfielder.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Taylor confirmed the £25k-per-week ace is interested in a switch to the Emirates Stadium, which could be a boost for Arsenal, however his price tag still remains a potential stumbling block.
The Daily Express journalist said: "I know they've been discussing personal terms with his agent and Lavia, who would be 100% open to joining Arsenal and it does look like there's concrete interest, but at this moment in time, the price tag will have to drop.
"I think the issue Southampton have is that their valuation has been clouded by the fact Chelsea offered £50 million last August and City have that £40 million buyback that becomes active in 2024.”
Who is Romeo Lavia signing for?
There are a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing the 19-year-old, with Chelsea still in the hunt, having recently stepped up their interest, while both Manchester United and Liverpool have also been named as potential suitors.
However, Arsenal have reached a verbal agreement with the youngster, which indicates they are in the driving seat, and he could be a very good addition to the squad, given his defensive qualities, ranking in the 96th percentile for blocks per 90 in the past year.
With an average of 2.1 tackles per game in the Premier League last season, the Belgian ranked second in the Southampton squad, displaying that he could be a viable low-cost alternative to Caicedo, who is expected to cost £80m.
Hailed as "elite", Lavia is at the right age to go on and be a long-term success at the Emirates Stadium, and Arsenal should now try and agree a suitable fee with Southampton.