Arsenal have held further talks with Arthur Melo’s agent as they try to complete a loan deal for the Juventus midfielder.

Goal report that Arsenal are increasing their efforts to sign Arthur Melo from Juventus on loan, holding talks with the player’s agent on Wednesday.

Arsenal technical director Edu spoke face-to-face with Federico Pastorello at London Colney in the hope that negotiations with Juventus will start to progress.

The Gunners are hoping to bring Arthur in on a six-month loan deal to the end of the season, and the player is keen. But Juventus don’t want to let him go without a replacement.

Fabrizio Romano reports that following the meeting between Arthur’s agent and Arsenal, Juventus have asked for an offer of an 18-month loan with a purchase option – rather than a six-month loan. Romano adds that nothing is agreed yet.

Juventus are clearly looking for longer-term assurances over the plan for Arthur, so they can reinvest more money in a replacement.

From an Arsenal point of view, having an option to buy is no bad thing. Those options usually benefit the buying club, as you can always choose not to take them up.

But the initial 18-month loan may not be so popular with Mikel Arteta, who would likely prefer to make a decision on the midfielder this summer – either bringing him in permanently or looking for an alternative long-term solution.