Arsenal have now made contact to sign Real Madrid forward Endrick, and Florentino Perez's stance on sanctioning a departure has been revealed.
Gunners eyeing new forward after extending lead over Man City
The Gunners moved six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of a 3-0 victory against Fulham on Saturday, although Pep Guardiola's side still have two games in hand.
As such, goal difference could be very important by the end of the season, which is why it was important for Mikel Arteta's side to rack up a big win against the Cottagers, with Viktor Gyokeres bagging a brace either side of a Bukayo Saka goal.
Gyokeres has scored 21 goals in 50 games in all competitions, which is a decent return, given that it is the Sweden international's debut campaign at the Emirates Stadium.
Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney subsequently hailed Gyokeres for his performances throughout the campaign, saying: “His minutes per goal, it’s right up there. You see the players below him, Sesko, Ekitike, Welbeck, who has had a great season. So his minutes per goal ratio is very good, and I think he’s been such an important signing for Arsenal.”
However, Arsenal remain keen on bringing in a new striker in the summer, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states an enquiry has now been made regarding the availability of Real Madrid's Endrick.
The Gunners didn't receive the response they would've been hoping for though, as the La Liga side are unwilling to sanction a departure, with club president Florentino Perez considered a big fan.
Endrick de Sousa of Lyon (L) attempts a kick while being defended by Goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer of FC Metz
The 19-year-old is expected to try and force his way into Madrid's plans next season, after returning from a loan spell with Lyon, where he has amassed four goals and six assists in 13 Ligue 1 outings.
Former Palmeiras sporting director Joao Paolo Sampaio has also waxed lyrical about the teenager.
"If injuries respect him, I don't see a ceiling for him. As far as is humanly possible. He has quality, a strong personality and a champion mentality. In that regard, he resembles Cristiano [Ronaldo].
"He trains hard, is kind and has humility. We love him very much because he makes himself loved. he tries to please everyone around him. He has everything to be a world star."
As a result, Arsenal may have to move on to other targets in attacking areas, with Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen among the options, and Andrea Berta has already held in-person talks about a deal for the Nigerian.
The Gunners have also entered discussions to sign Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez, who scored his side's only goal in the 1-1 Champions League semi-final draw earlier this week.
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