Arsenal look to Chelsea for help to seal Arthur transfer after successful talks

Negotiations between Arsenal and Juventus have been making ground in recent days as midfielder Arthur Melo looks set to move to the Emirates on loan – but the Italian club want a replacement first

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Ligue 1 stars on Premier League transfer radar

Arsenal could require a helping hand from rivals Chelsea if they are to get their loan agreement for Juventus star Arthur Melo over the line before deadline day.

Talks have been progressing with the Italian club as Mikel Arteta seeks to bolster his midfield with the Brazilian star.

Arthur, 25, is not part of immediate plans under Massimiliano Allegri in Turin despite only moving to the club 18 months ago.

Juventus are seemingly prepared to sanction his temporary move to Arsenal for the remainder of the season, but Allegri still wants to find a replacement to fill Arthur’s place in his squad.

And that is where Chelsea come in.

Who can Juventus replace Arthur with if he joins Arsenal? Have your say in the comments below.

According to various reports in Italy (via Football Italia ), Juventus are eyeing Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek to fill the void if Arthur departs.

Loftus-Cheek has been in and out of Thomas Tuchel’s side at Stamford Bridge this term, starting just nine matches in all competitions whilst making 10 more as a substitute.

Chelsea could afford to let the 25-year-old move on, though it depends whether they would be prepared to let him go without landing a replacement, while Loftus-Cheek may want to stay and fight for his place after spending last season on loan at Fulham.

The lure of Juventus could be an attractive prospect for him, though, given chances under Tuchel have been few and far between.

Speaking in November, Tuchel insisted he wanted to see more from Loftus-Cheek after his display in the Champions League win over Malmo, though it is not clear whether he sees him as a key feature of his side moving forward.

Arthur has already agreed to join Arsenal on a six-month deal, according to the report, while Arteta also looks to strengthen his forward line.

The Gunners’ boss is attempting a raid on Juve’s Serie A rivals Fiorentina for striker Dusan Vlahovic, with the Serbian’s price tag said to be set at £75million.

Vlahovic has been stalling over his future, however, amid expectations he will have more suitors lining up if he bides his time till the summer.

Arsenal want to seal a structured deal for the 21-year-old this month but Fiorentina would rather the fee be paid in one lump sum.

Given his contract expires in 18 months’ time, Vlahovic is in no rush to make a decision, with Juventus thought to be his preference over a switch to London.

But Fiorentina are keen to resolve Vlahovic’s situation sooner rather than later in order to maximise their profit from any transfer, amid fears their bargaining power will diminish the longer his contract ticks down.

Fiorentina CEO Joe Barone told Mediaset on Thursday: “We’re open to consider all the proposals we’ll receive for Vlahović – no bid is on the table right now”.

“We’ve not received any official offer. Let’s see if some proposal will arrive.”