Arsenal are trying to sign Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic, and they are currently in the strongest position to bring him in this month.

David Ornstein reports for The Athletic that Arsenal are pushing for Dusan Vlahovic this month, and if the player moves then Arsenal are in the strongest position to pick him up.

The Gunners are reportedly better placed than the alternatives in terms of paying Vlahovic’s fee and salary.

Arsenal also have Lucas Torreira as a bargaining chip. Torreira is proving popular at Fiorentina, and could turn his move permanent as part of a Vlahovic deal.

Another boost on Fiorentina’s side is that they’re looking to bring in one or two forwards, namely Krzysztof Piatek of Hertha Berlin and Valentin Castellanos of New York City FC. Di Marzio add that Domenico Berardi is also on their shortlist.

Given Vlahovic’s contract expires in 2023 and they already appear to be looking to replace him, an exit this month seems very possible.

The Athletic claim the biggest obstacle to a deal is the sense that Vlahovic would rather remain in Italy and join Juventus.

None of the English clubs linked to Vlahovic – whether that’s Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, or Newcastle United – appear to be his preferred options right now.

Di Marzio have consistently reported that there’s no agreement between Vlahovic’s camp and Arsenal, with some distance between the two parties at the moment. The Italian outlet claims there are signs Vlahovic is waiting for a bigger offer.

Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports recently reported that Arsenal had made an offer of close to €45m plus Lucas Torreira, but again, he adds that Vlahovic is biding his time.

So it seems to be all up to the player and his agents now. If they decide they want to join Arsenal this month, it doesn’t look like Fiorentina will stand in their way. But as it stands, they haven’t made that decision.

Vlahovic has scored 18 goals and assisted two between Serie A and the Coppa Italia this season, totalling 20 goal contributions in 21 games.