Arsenal are expected to make a "very important" bid to sign Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella "in the next few days", according to reports out of Italy.
Who will join Arsenal this summer?
The north Londoners are aiming to challenge for another Premier League title after falling just short in their attempts to thwart treble-winners Man City last season.
Mikel Arteta and co have reportedly been very busy behind-the-scenes, with some reports even claiming they could be set to spend around £200 million on new arrivals this summer.
West Ham United star Declan Rice has already been subject to two rejected bids from Arsenal, with rumours of a third now circulating, but he certainly isn't their only transfer target.
Southampton's Romeo Lavia is a player wanted in north London as talks progress and personal terms edge closer to completion, while Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is being targeted as well.
Kai Havertz is reliably believed to be coming through the door after Arsenal agreed a £65 million deal with Chelsea for his signing.
The aforementioned quartet have all been heavily linked these past few weeks, though according to a report from Europe, it appears the north Londoners have also set their sights on Barella.
The Italy international will be seen in next season's Champions League and recently helped Inter to their first final of the competition since 2010.
According to FC Inter News.it, Arsenal and Man United are now expected to lodge "very important offers" for Barella and this could happen "in the next few days".
Arteta's side have apparently made contact with Inter and Barella's agent, Alessandro Beltrami, to make their intentions known in this regard.
However, to stand a chance of reaching an agreement, this report states that Arsenal may need to go "much further" than Newcastle United's recent £60 million offer for the 26-year-old.
Who is Nicolo Barella?
Barella was a crucial player and mainstay under Simone Inzaghi domestically last season, playing more Serie A minutes than any other player in the Nerazzurri squad (WhoScored).
During that time, he registered 12 goal contributions (six goals, six assists), with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp previously expressing his admiration for the midfielder.
Speaking before a European tie against Inter last year, the German called Barella a "top-class" player.
"That Barella is not able to play is not bad for us," said Klopp.
"He's a really good player, a really good player and I like him a lot.
“He has all the things you want from a midfield player: he is aggressive, he is technical, he can run for ages and all these kinds of things. That's a top-class player.”