Arsenal fans have been desperate for the club to act swiftly after the summer transfer window opened last week, and now things could really start to get interesting.
The Times reported yesterday that Arsenal are becoming increasingly confident that they are close to agreeing a deal to sign Gabriel Jesus, with a fresh bid on the way. Manchester City were understood to have been looking for a fee in the region of £50m for the forward, but a move could now be wrapped up for £10m less.
Meanwhile, FC Porto's Fabio Vieira and Leicester's Youri Tielemans are also targets for Mikel Arteta as he looks to bolster the midfield.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta has key role in securing dream £102m triple transfer swoop for Arsenal this summer
However, as is usually the case during a transfer window, certain deals rely on other things happening elsewhere first. Often referred to as the 'domino effect', it's likely that technical director Edu may have to be patient if he is to secure all of the club's main targets.
A new report from The Guardian suggests this could indeed be the case for the Brazilian, with Man City said to be 'poised' to bid for Brighton & Hove Albion left-back, Marc Cucurella. If Pep Guardiola was to be successful in his attempts to sign the defender, it could potentially open the door for Oleksandr Zinchenko to leave the Etihad.
Zinchenko is another name at the centre of attention from Arsenal after various reports confirmed interest last month. Like Jesus, the Ukrainian international is a player Arteta knows well from his time as Guardiola's assistant at the current Premier League champions.
The 25-year-old, who is valued between £17m - £26m by CIES Football Observatory, has primarily been used as a left-back for City but his impressive versatility also enables him to play in central midfield with ease. A hectic fixture schedule is returning for Arsenal after Europa League qualification, meaning strength in depth is absolutely key next season. Additionally, five substitutions are set to be introduced, which only reiterates the need for solid competition throughout the squad.
The addition of Zinchenko would certainly ease some of Arteta's concerns about those two factors, but it isn't just Cucurella's own future that will play a part in any potential move happening. The Athletic has claimed that Nuno Tavares could be loaned out for the 2022/23 campaign following a difficult debut season in England, and Atalanta appear to be interested in his services.
Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that the Serie A side wants to take advantage of Tavares' situation at Arsenal, with the player viewed as a potential successor to Robin Gosens. Its added that negotiations have already been set up and a deal is difficult, though not impossible.
It doesn't appear anything is close right now, and there are understandably other priorities. But the situation surrounding Zinchenko and Tavares is interesting, so maybe one to keep an eye on as the window progresses.
