Arsenal have agreed a deal in principle with Fiorentina for starlet Dusan Vlahovic, according to reports.
The only thing to tie up now are the personal terms that would bring the Serbian striker to the Emirates Stadium. Vlahovic has been widely reported as wanting to keep his options open during this transfer window unless a tantalising bid came in for his services.
The Gunners currently cannot offer Champions League football and probably can't offer a salary to match the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United or Chelsea, who are all reportedly interested in the Serie A star.
Mikel Arteta is relying on being able to convince Vlahovic – and crucially his representatives – of the project underway in north London and faces a race against time to complete this move before the window slams shut in a week's time.
It seems as if the 21-year-old's agents – Belgrade-based International Sports Office – are the key to this whole deal. Fiorentina's patience is reportedly wearing thin for the agency and though the player himself could be apparently tempted by the move, the ball is in ISO's court, with sums as large as £15m being discussed as an agents' fee.
Vlahovic is by far the most valuable player on the company's books and it's thought that the team want to extract the best possible value from their star client.
Arsenal didn't deal with demanding agents in the summer, choosing to move for smaller-name targets and avoiding extortionate fees for representatives. This was a break from their recent business, with the likes of Cedric Soares, Willian, Pablo Mari and abandoned target Houssem Aouar all being reportedly agent-led deals before.
Vlahovic is valued at £63m on Transfermarkt.
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