Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's desire to add another winger to his first-team ranks is well-documented and yet another target has emerged in the late stages of the summer transfer window.
Real Madrid star Marco Asensio is rumoured to have angered those at the top of the Los Blancos hierarchy with his refusal to sign a new deal at the Santiago Bernabeu. In response, club president Florentino Perez has ordered manager Carlo Ancelotti not to play the winger under any circumstances, as per Spanish news outlet El Confidencial.
Despite finding first-team minutes hard to come by last term, Asensio still produced a respectable return of 12 goals across 42 appearances, despite the Spain international averaging just 50 minutes per game. It actually comes as somewhat of a surprise that Real Madrid offered Asensio a new deal in the first place, considering his reduced minutes.
However, the 26-year-old has prioritised playing more football and has made it clear he intends to reject the deal - prompting Perez's instructions to Ancelotti. This could be seen as both a positive and a negative for the Gunners.
On one hand, the fact Real Madrid are willing to sell Asensio will make any potential deal significantly easier. The player's desire for regular football will also mean the prospect of making the switch to the Emirates is one that attracts the Spaniard.
However, Asensio is by no means the first name on Arteta's wish list and the La Liga giants' desperation to cash in on Asensio before the end of the window means Arsenal have very little time to weigh up whether this is truly a move they wish to pursue.
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Of course, given the calibre of player Asensio is, the Gunners are not the only side keeping tabs on his situation. Fellow Premier League titans such as Liverpool and Manchester United have been linked with his signature.
The switch is complicated further by the fact that Arsenal are on the brink of allowing club-record signing Nicolas Pepe to join Nice on loan for the remainder of the season - leaving themselves light in terms of wide attackers.
Arteta is believed to view Wolves winger Pedro Neto as his ideal final summer addition. However, given the Portugal international penned a five-year contract earlier this year, his price tag, mixed with Wolves' reluctance to sell, is thought to be a huge stumbling block.
Asensio, with one year remaining on his Real Madrid deal, represents a far cheaper alternative and one the Gunners may still look to explore before the deadline strikes.
