Arsenal are reportedly monitoring Benfica winger Goncalo Guedes with scouting trips as they look to prepare themselves for the possible loss of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
A claim by The Sun has suggested Manchester City are very interested in the England international, who has been in and out of the Gunners' team so far this season.
It comes as a surprise for a player more recently linked with the like of former club Southampton, but City boss Pep Guardiola has apparently held Oxlade-Chamberlain in very high esteem for the last two years after being impressed by him in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich.
It is said that City would be prepared to pay £25m for the 23-year-old and potentially double his current £70k-per-week wages.
Guedes, who at the age of 20 is younger than Oxlade-Chamberlain, has actually played most of his games for Benfica as a central forward this season. He is, however, comfortable in 'number 10' role or wide on the right.
His goal return for a striker - just two in 13 starts in 2016/17 - has not been great, so a place on the wing might suit him better until he begins to mature a little more.
Were Arsenal to formalise their alleged interest in Guedes, it could be a significant financial outlay. That is because Paris Saint-Germain are also rumoured to interested and could make an opening offer of £27m when the transfer window re-opens next month
Paying such a fee would make Guedes the fifth most expensive player in Arsenal history behind only Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka and Alexis Sanchez.
Only an extraordinary talent would prompt a manager as frugal as Arsene Wenger to pay that much for a player who is still almost completely unproven.
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