According to a report by Spanish publication MARCA (per 101 Great Goals), north London side Arsenal have had a bid for Real Madrid target Lucas Silva accepted, and could beat the Liga BBVA giants to the signing of the Cruzeiro star.
MARCA claim that the Gunners have met Cruzeiro's €15m asking price for the 21-year-old Brazilian, with Los Blancos' offer of €12m being turned down.
The Gunners, who after a disastrous start, have qualified for the Champions League round of 16, but are suffering in the English Premier League, and are in search for ideal additions this January to help their push for a top-four finish.
With Sami Khedira tipped with a move to Bayern Munich, Wenger is reportedly keen on landing Silva. However, one HUGE roadblock remains in front of Arsenal. The player himself has publicly aired his preference to join Real Madrid.
When speaking to AS, the highly-rated midfielder discussed the prospect of playing alongside two-time Ballon d'Or winner and Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, and pulling on the 10-time Champions League winners' famous jersey, saying:
"Since I was small I've been following his games, from Manchester United and now much more at Real Madrid. He's making history.
"I never imagined, never expected, that one day maybe something like this could happen; it would be a dream.”
Les Merengues boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is in dire need of midfield reinforcements after losing both Luka Modric and James Rodriguez to injuries, has also publicly declared his interest in Silva, though stressing the Cruzeiro ace is not the only player to have caught his eye.
“We have to wait for the Christmas period, when everything will be much clearer,” the Italian manager stated. “Then we’ll make a decision.
“We are interested in Lucas Silva, but also in other players.”
