Arsenal are reportedly 'very interested' in bringing Paris Saint-Germain's Adrien Rabiot to the Emirates Stadium, though rivals Manchester United remain in pole position to land the want-away midfielder.
Rabiot has not made an appearance for the Ligue 1 champions since December after rejecting the club's offer of a new contract, with the 24-year-old stating his desire to leave the French capital.
Gunners boss Unai Emery is looking to revamp his squad ahead of next year, though a restricted budget has left the Spaniard searching for bargains such as this to re-invigorate his side.
Emery is familiar with Rabiot's talents having coached him at PSG for two seasons before taking charge in north London and is thought to be eager to reunite with the silky playmaker, though he faces stiff opposition from the Red Devils.
French news outlet Paris United report that the latter are willing to meet the player's steep salary demands and signing-on fee, handing them the edge over Arsenal.
However, the pair are not alone in their pursuit of Rabiot, with Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all monitoring his situation.
Unfortunately from their point of view, neither United nor the Gunners can offer him Champions League football next campaign, which could prove critical in the PSG academy graduate's decision.
FT: Chelsea 4-1 Arsenal
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 29, 2019
CHELSEA WIN THE EUROPA LEAGUE!
Giroud, Pedro and a double from Hazard on their crowning night in Baku.#UELFinal #CHEARS https://t.co/0afH2VVUik pic.twitter.com/khQ0oFRYnc
Emery's cohorts were beaten resoundingly by Chelsea in the Europa League final on Wednesday night having already failed to secure a top four finish in the league, whilst United also finished outside of the Champions League qualification spots.
Victory over the Blues would have seen Arsenal book their place at the top table of European football for 2019/20, though they can no longer use that as an incentive to lure Rabiot to the club.
Source : 90min