Arsenal have Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia "on the radar" for a potential summer transfer swoop, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has recently told GiveMeSport.
Will Arsenal sign a new midfielder this summer?
The Gunners were keen to bring in a new central midfielder during the January transfer window, as indicated by their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo, having a £70m bid rejected for the Ecuadorian on deadline day.
Given that pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has branded Granit Xhaka "questionable", while he also criticised Thomas Partey for his poor form in recent matches, Mikel Arteta could be even more keen on bringing in new options in the summer.
Arsenal are said to be captivated by Sporting CP's Manuel Ugarte, while they have also submitted a proposal for Chelsea's Mason Mount, however it is another England international they are most interested in.
The Sun report Declan Rice is the north London club's top transfer target, and given that the 24-year-old has previously expressed his desire to play in the Champions League, the Gunners may be well-placed to win the race for his signature.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, CBS reporter Jacobs made it clear that Rice is Arteta's number one target, however he is not the only Premier League midfielder of interest.
Jacobs said: "I still think that if we look at midfield, Declan Rice is the priority. But we know that Moises Caicedo and it is probably fair to say Romeo Lavia, are there on the radar for Arsenal."
Should Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia?
Arsenal are not the only Premier League side interested in signing Lavia, as Football Insider report Chelsea believe they will be able to land the central midfielder for £45m in the summer.
Although that is a large fee for a 19-year-old, who does not have a great deal of Premier League experience, there are some indications he could be a very shrewd addition for the Gunners.
The Southampton ace is competent defensively, ranking in the 91st percentile for blocks per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and he has recently been hailed as "superb" by football writer Simon Collings.
As you would expect, Rice outperforms the youngster on the vast majority of key metrics, so the West Ham skipper should remain Arsenal's priority signing.
However, given that the Gunners are willing to listen to offers for Xhaka this summer, multiple new midfielders may be required, so Lavia would still be a worthwhile addition to Arteta's squad.