Arsenal have had a £10.25million bid for Roma youngster Umar Sadiq rejected, according to reports.
La Repubblica, cited by Metro, say the 19-year-old is highly rated by the Gunners, who have tracked his progress this season.
Sadiq, a striker, has scored twice in six Serie A appearances for Roma this season, as well as 16 times in 16 appearances for the Giallorossi's second team.
The Nigerian is currently only on loan at Roma from Serie B side Spezia but the Italian giants do have an option to buy the player at the end of the season.
Wilshere injury boost
Arsenal have been given an injury boost after Arsene Wenger revealed he has been impressed with Jack Wilshere in training.
The England midfielder hasn't played this season after breaking his leg on the eve of the Community Shield win over Arsenal in August.
However, he has recently returned to training and Wenger said the 24-year-old is "doing well".
“I saw him run, it looked quite impressive," Wenger said. "His power is back, he doesn’t look to be holding back and that is good news. If he can continue that now I believe he is out of the tunnel.”
Iniesta: Sanchez is Arsenal's key man
Andres Iniesta has named his old friend Alexis Sanchez as Arsenal’s danger man ahead of Wednesday’s second leg in Barcelona, writes Chris Hatherall.
And the Barca legend insists his former team-mate will get a great reception from Nou Camp fans.
Sanchez will lead Arsenal's “mission impossible” against the European champions after losing the first leg 2-0 at the Emirates.
It is likely to be an emotional occasion for the Chilean striker, who spent three years at Barca, winning six trophies before moving to the Emirates in 2014 for £35million.
Barca midfielder Iniesta said: “Arsenal have a big squad but, because of his history with Barcelona, Alexis is the key man we have to look out for.
“He’s a big footballer and showed his level when he played for Barca. But it’s not easy at this club to be first-choice striker. He has a lot of quality and can create problems.
“I’m convinced our fans will give him a great reception. But from minute one on the pitch, it will be different. That’s logical.”
Wenger fed up of fan abuse
Under-fire Arsene Wenger has hit back at disgruntled Arsenal fans – claiming he gets stick even if he wins trophies, writes Anthony Clavane.
The Gunners are still in three competitions and in with a great chance of creating FA Cup history.
If they beat Watford in today’s quarter-final, they will equal the post-war record of 16 consecutive rounds – held by Wenger’s own “Invincibles” – and be a step further to an extraordinary three FA Cup wins on the spin.
And yet, despite still being in the Champions League and the hunt for the title, some fans are calling for him to quit at the end of the season.
“It’s never enough,” he said. “As long as you don’t win everything, it’s never enough.
“When we didn’t win anything, they said, ‘You didn’t even win the FA Cup’. People always wants more.
“But, if you look at the history of Arsenal, we are a club who’s won the cup more than anybody else. We’ve won it 12 times. And I have won it six times with my team.”
Wenger speaks about challenges facing academy
Arsene Wenger has spoken about the challenges facing the Arsenal academy, writes Paul Gorst.
Wenger admitted that it was a difficult task trying to see if a player is a good enough to make the grade at the Emirates in their formative years and accepted that each youngster develops at a different age.
The long-serving Frenchman has developed a reputation as a coach with an ability to help young players reach their full potential at the club.
Wenger has helped an array of players on the path to stardom during his 20 years in north London, but has more recently seen players such as Bournemouth's Benik Afobe leave to forge reputations elsewhere.
And while his record for polishing rough diamonds is an enviable one, Wenger admitted that sometimes talented teenagers slip through the net at the Emirates.
Wenger told BT Sport: "You have a decision to make [when a player is] at 18 years of age [and say] 'no, this player will not be good enough for us'.
"But you also have to be humble enough to accept that everyone has their own speed of developments.
"Some [develop] at 17, some at 22 and sometimes it is frustrating for us because we have to make decisions knowing that we can be wrong."
Kroenke: Gunners will spend pre-season in LA
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke has confirmed that the Gunners will spend their pre-season in California with NFL side Los Angeles Rams, writes Paul Gorst.
The Gunners owner has famously been nicknamed 'Silent Stan' by disgruntled supporters due to a perceived lack of involvement in running the Londoners.
However, the American tycoon appeared at a press conference on Friday to announce that the Premier League side would be spending time with his NFL franchise during the pre-season.
Kroenke is hoping to boost the profile of both Arsenal and the Rams in the US, and believes that an appearance in North America will do that.
He told a press conference in Boston: “Arsenal will come back [this summer] and they’re playing and training in Southern California this summer for the first time.
“So that’s all good. That will raise the profile of the Rams and Arsenal in North America."