AC Milan are hopeful that Ivan Gazidis will be able to get Jesus Suso to renew his contract and remove his release clause amid ‘serious’ Arsenal interest.

The former Arsenal chief executive abandoned the club shortly after wrestling power away from Arsene Wenger as he chased the money on offer from his friend, Paul Singer, who found himself in charge of the Serie A side.

Now he’s been tasked with stopping Arsenal from signing one of their players.

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Jesus Suso who has a €40m release clause in his contract. AC Milan want that removed ‘as soon as possible’ according to a report in Wednesday’s edition of Leggo (Milan). They are said to be in ‘constant contact’ with his agent, Alessandro Lucci, and have reportedly offered to up his wages from €2.2m-a-year to €4m (approx. £67kpw).

The Italians already have a contract offer on the table for Suso but Arsenal are said to be ‘seriously thinking’ about moving for the 25-year-old winger. He may not want to move, however, as he has recently had his first son and has ‘always preferred a stay in Milan’ according to the Italian report.

Suso is a relatively new addition to the Arsenal rumour mill. He has 22 Serie A appearances this season with five goals and eight assists. He is under contract until 2022.

So why is it good news Gazidis is trying to get him to renew his contract? Well, one look at the state of Arsenal contract renewals over the years will give you your answer…