Arsenal could be ready to back Mikel Arteta to the tune of £50m in January as they look to ensure their fast start to the season doesn't go to waste.
The Gunners sit atop the Premier League table after picking up 28 points from their first 11 games - one more than they had at the same stage when they last won the title in 2003-04.
Sunday's draw at Southampton was a reminder of how easily points can be dropped, though, and the gap to second place has been cut.
Arsenal spent big over the summer, splashing out more than £100m to bring in the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Oleksandr Zinchenko. More signings could be on the way, though, including a return for a couple of Mikel Arteta's summer targets.
According to The Sun, Villarreal starlet Yeremy Pino is one of the players being considered by manager Arteta ahead of the January transfer window. The 20-year-old is expected to set them back around £25m, having been heavily linked over the summer.
After failing to qualify for this season's Champions League, Villarreal have had a mixed start to the season. Manager Unai Emery has left for Aston Villa with the Yellow Submarine in seventh place, and a January exit for Pino could add insult to injury.
The youngster is in the mix for a place in Spain's World Cup squad after scoring his first international goal in March. He has just one league goal to his name this season, netting in a win at Atletico Madrid back in August, and has one assist in the Europa Conference League to help the Spanish team reach the last 16 with two games to spare.
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The wide forward area appears to be a key one for Arsenal in the light of Emile Smith Rowe's injury. The academy graduate has been missing since early September after going in for surgery which will ensure he does not play a part for England at the World Cup.
Another possible target is Shakhtar and Ukraine winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. The 21-year-old has been on the radar of a number of Premier League clubs, and scored his third Champions League goal of the season as Shakhtar drew with Celtic to keep their knockout hopes alive.
The third man on Arsenal's list of targets, all of whom are likely to cost around £25m, is Palmeiras midfielder Danilo. The Gunners are believed to be prepared to test the Brazilian side's resolve for a man who played a big part in their league title run, with fellow midfield target Douglas Luiz no longer top of the list after signing a new deal with Aston Villa.
