Arsenal reportedly turned down the chance to sign talented winger Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus in the January transfer window.
The north Londoners were heavily linked with a move for the 22-year-old before he eventually signed for their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who they play on Thursday night, instead. The Swedish international has since enjoyed an excellent few months with the Lillywhites, bagging three goals and providing a further eight assists in just 15 league matches.
The Athletic have since reported that the Gunners' recruitment department watched Kulusevski closely throughout his stop-start spell with Serie A side Juve and considered him to be a potential long-term target. However, they are said to have decided that January was not the right time to make a move for his services considering they already had two left-footed right-wingers in the squad, in the form of Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe.
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It remains to be seen whether or not technical director Edu made the right call not to sign Kulusevski, who is currently valued at €70million-€90million (£58million-£74.5million) by CIES Football Observatory, but if Antonio Conte's verdict is anything to go by, the speedy wideman will become a top player in the coming years.
Speaking about the youngster back in March, the Italian said: "We are talking about an important prospect. He is very young, only 21-years-old and despite his young age, he has good experience with the national team. To play with Juventus for one year and a half, you understand what it means to live with pressure. Probably he could 'crack' in the future. Also, because I can see the intensity, the will and the desire to play.
"As every day in a training session, he is a type of player in his mind to become a top player in his career. While I am his manager, I try to help him to improve and believe.
"For sure, he is an important prospect for the present and for the future. He has to continue in this way he has been one month and a half. He has improved physically, tactically and his mentality."
