He's been a busy man so far this summer, but Edu doesn't appear to be done yet. Arsenal have made five new signings in the form of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos, but Mikel Arteta is keen to continue his shopping spree in the coming weeks.
A central midfielder was said to be high up on the club's target list and Leicester City's Youri Tielemans is a player of interest, football.london understands. However, an official bid is yet to be submitted which suggests departures are being relied on before a deal is potentially revisited later down the line.
As well as Tielemans, Lyon's Lucas Paqueta is someone else highly admired by Gunners staff. Reports in Brazil and France claimed that Edu had already been in touch with the player's representatives to confirm Arsenal's intention of making an offer, with Lyon believed to be looking for at least £50million for his services.
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Although the links to Paqueta have gone quiet in recent days, Edu was asked about the reported interest in the Brazilian while in America and his response probably wasn't what fans were hoping to hear.
"I’m very respectful when I talk about Lucas," Edu told TNT Sports Brazil. "I’m a guy who likes him a lot, I’ve always liked him, since my time with Brazil’s national team. He’s had a great season, he was considered the best (overseas) player in the French league.
"But today, there really isn’t any kind of talk, there’s only my admiration for the player, because the squad today is, in the position he plays, I think we’re very well served in this regard."
Edu hinted that the number of options Arsenal already have in Paqueta's position is the reason behind the lack of movement, but didn't rule out a move completely. With just over a month remaining until the window closes, he could be one to keep an eye on alongside the aforementioned Tielemans, especially if departures take place.
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