Arsenal and Manchester United both sent scouts to watch Danilo Pereira as Porto played Tondela last Friday, according to reports from Portugal.

Portuguese outlet A Bola (via SportWitness.co.uk) say Danilo was the target of the two clubs’ observations.

The 26-year-old defensive midfielder is having a fantastic season with Porto, so you can see why he’s drawing interest from top clubs, particularly Arsenal, whose defensive midfield options are poor, especially after Francis Coquelin left for Valencia.

Danilo’s main strength is his aerial ability.

The midfielder stands at around 6’2″, and uses every inch to his advantage. As a result, he’s won a massive 74.6% of his aerial duels this season.

He’s also very comfortable on the ball, completing 86.6% of his passes for Porto. Those are two attributes the Gunners could use in a defensive midfielder.

It’s not just Danilo who is performing at the moment, because Porto’s whole team have played almost faultlessly throughout their campaign so far. They’re unbeaten in the Liga NOS, and progressing in all other domestic competitions.

The only slip ups came in the Champions League, with a couple of losses to Besiktas and RB Leipzig. They still qualified for the knockout rounds though.

If Arsenal scouts see the midfielder as the key to their success, you’d think they’ll make him a key target.

It’s one to keep an eye on.