(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
It has been widely reported in the last few hours that Arsenal are in negotiations with Seria A side Fiorentina over the signing of the Brazilian international Felipe Melo.
It is understood that the Viola are prepared to sell the combative midfielder with Emmanuel Eboue moving the other way as part of the deal.
This all comes after Fiorentina released an official statement on their website, which effectively ended rumours in the Italian press that the player is on his way to Juventus.
"The director of Sport (Corvino) points out that Arsenal FC are the only club who came close to the buy-out close figure", read the statement.
"Fiorentina have in turn proposed to Arsenal that they can reduce the cash sum by introducing right-back Eboue into the deal".
Felipe Melo has signed a one-year extension on his current contract last week. Fiorentina have confirmed that this contract holds a £21.4m buy-out clause, which must be activated by any club interested in the player.
Furthermore, Melo's agent has quashed any rumours suggesting that his client has already agreed to sign for Juventus.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Jose Baster said: "We are not negotiating with any club, if a team is interested in the player they must first find an agreement with Fiorentina".
Therefore, providing Eboue agrees to the move, It looks like Arsene Wenger will finally get his man.
The Arsenal manager has tracked the Brazilian midfielder for the past three years, since his playing days in the Spanish league with Almeria.
Melo, who moved to Fiorentina in a £7 Million deal last summer, became well known for his tough tackling style that resulted in him picking up 17 yellow and three red cards last season in Seria A.
I must admit I haven't seen enough of Seria A last season, so I can't give you a personal viewpoint on his club form. However, I do know that he was a major reason why Fiorentina finished fourth, and therefore, qualified for the Champions League.
Furthermore, I was very impressed with his performances in midfield for Brazil in their Confederations Cup triumph this summer.
As you can see from this video, he has exceptional passing abilities and is able to control and dictate the play from deeper positions in midfield. Also, he has the strength and drive in his game, which Arsenal lack in their midfield; and can score goals from set-pieces.
I personally think that this is a fantastic deal and Arsene Wenger should do everything in his power to make this happen.
Wenger often talks about "desire" and "hunger" in his young squad, but they seldom show it in big matches. As this video
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