Arsenal Eye £29.5m Portuguese Star As Wenger Draws-Up List Of Summer Targets

Arsenal scout Luis Boa Morte was in the stands to watch Porto star Danilo Pereira on Monday night as Arsene Wenger draws-up his list of summer transfer targets, according to the Daily Mail.

With Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini set to leave the Emirates when their contracts expire in June, the boss is going to have to strengthen his midfield options this summer.

As was reported on Tuesday, recent newspaper reports have linked us with a big-money move for Borussia Monchengladbach ace Granit Xhaka but it looks as though Wenger is lining-up a list of alternatives.

The Daily Mail claim that Arsene instructed Luis Boa Morte to run the rule over Porto midfielder Danilo this week and our Portuguese-based scout was in the stands as the Primeira Liga giants slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to Tondela.

The news comes after Boa Morte confirmed earlier in the season that he’s a big fan of Danilo having watched the holding midfielder since he was a teenager and the Arsenal scout believes it’s time the 24-year-old sought a new challenge.

Boa Morte is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail:

‘I’ve watched Danilo since he was 15 or 16 years old at Benfica.’

‘His development has been impressive, but I wasn’t surprised by it.

‘Danilo has quality for a different challenge, he just need to be given the opportunity. Things are already easy for him at FCP.’

Danilo only joined Porto from Maritimo last summer but has been hugely impressive in the middle of the park this season so I’m sure the Portuguese outfit will do all they can to hang on to the midfielder this summer.

However, the Daily Mail claim the Portuguese international has a buy-out clause worth £29.5m so there is little Porto could do if the likes of Arsenal choose to match that figure.

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We’ll have to wait and see whether Wenger decides to step-up his interest in Danilo with a formal move this summer but we certainly need to bring in another central midfielder and the Porto man would be an exciting addition to the squad.