Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is reportedly lining up a bid to bring Real Madrid starlet Marcos Llorente to the Emirates Stadium in January - and is willing to pay 'any price' to land him.
According to Don Balon, the Gunners boss is a huge admirer of the midfielder, and is prepared to test Madrid's resolve by offering 'whatever it takes' to lure him away from the Bernabeu.
Llorente, a 21-year-old academy product, has been gaining valuable La Liga experienceon loan atDeportivo Alavesthis season, having made just two appearances for his parent club.
The player has been making waves at his temporary new home, helping steer Alaves away from the relegation zone and into13th. He has drawn praise from experts for his versatility.
The Spaniard has alreadyrepresented the national side's U21s and looks certain to courtattention from Europe's elite clubs.
Arsenal are one of the first clubs to express interest in Llorente,with Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane reportedly viewing his hot prospect as merely back-up for more established first-teamer, Casemiro.
The stance has seeminglyplaced the Gunners on red alert, with Wenger well-known for putting his faith in younger players over the years.
One stumbling block, however,to any potential move for the player could be the fact that he has not properly represented Los Blancos yet. Madrid could block any approach for Llorente on the grounds that, the Bernabau would be the perfect environment for his development.
Marcos Llorente vs Samir Nasri, UNREAL BALLER! @Marcos_Llorente pic.twitter.com/sp7tVnKZZO
Being surrounded by superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos (while under the management of midfield legend Zidane) might prove too a strong magnetism for the player, much to the disappointment of Arsenal fans.