Arsenal are yet to make any move for Brazilian midfielder Danilo ahead of the January transfer window, despite the Gunners holding a long-standing interest in the Palmeiras man, according to the club president.
The 21-year-old was linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium last January, and that interest was reignited over the summer too, with speculation that a deal was in place for January.
It comes with the Gunners needing cover in the centre of midfield, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny both now heading towards their 30s and the Ghanaian midfielder regularly spending time on the sidelines through injury.
And there were reports that a fee of 25m euros would be enough to secure his services, with Mikel Arteta keen to add to his squad this January.
“I said from day one that we have a short squad because at the end we left some players. It’s what we have”, he revealed after the Carabao Cup third-round exit to Brighton.
“If everyone’s available and no one is injured we are OK, but the moment there is, we know what it is.”
Defensa y Justicia v Palmeiras – Conmebol Recopa FLORENCIO VARELA, ARGENTINA – APRIL 07: Walter Bou of Defensa y Justicia fights for the ball with Danilo Dos Santos De Oliveira of Palmeiras during match between Defensa y Justicia and Palmeiras as part of the first leg of the Conmebol Recopa at Estadio Norberto Tomaghello on April 07, 2021 in Florencio Varela, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
However, these have since been confirmed as wide of the mark by the Brazilian club itself.
“Danilo is a very important player for our squad. As of now, we’ve not received any proposal from teams abroad”, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira told Brazilian outlet Globo.
“We haven’t had any consultations. If we do, we will analyse what’s best for Palmeiras and the player”.
The Brazilian are under no financial pressure to sell, having already agreed a deal for starlet Endrick with Real Madrid which will net them around 60m euros, but Danilo is expected to move on in the months to come, with several European sides circling around the 21 year old.