Arsenal's pursuit of Dusan Vlahovic is looking unlikely to result in a move this month, with time swiftly running out in the January transfer window.
The Gunners have less than a week to complete any incomings, with a striker and central midfielder top of Mikel Arteta's wishlist before the month concludes.
football.london understands that Arsenal are indeed interested in signing Vlahovic, but there is a feeling that the Serbian forward wants to stay with Fiorentina until the summer where he will once again assess his options.
So, it could be the case of moving on for the north London club, with both Jonathan David and Alexander Isak both being looked at as possible recruits in the coming days.
However, Spanish news outlet AS are now reporting that Arsenal hold an interest in Espanyol striker Raul de Tomas, with the Gunners long-term admirers of the 27-year-old.
De Tomas is said to have a €70million (£58.8million) release clause in his contract with Espanyol, where he has been since completing a £20million move from Benfica in January 2020.
Before his time in Portugal, De Tomas was at Real Madrid, where he came through the academy system before a loan spell at Rayo Vallecano, which earned him a switch to Benfica.
The Spanish striker, though, has his heart set on a return to Real Madrid in the future.
Speaking in an interview with AS, via Get Football News Spain, in November 2021, De Tomas said: "I focus on the day to day and you never know. I was brought up at Madrid from the age of eight and you never know.
"That's a good question (whether he dreams of succeeding at Real Madrid). Of course, I would like to. It would be a dream to return to Real Madrid because I grew up there.
"When I was eight-years-old, I used to walk through the door of the Ciudad Deportiva of Real Madrid. Everybody has a dream to return to the place where they grew up. Why not? You never know."
Alternatives for Arsenal
As mentioned above, both Isak and David are being looked at as options for Arsenal this month.
The former, Isak, has a release clause of €90million (£75million) in his contract with Real Sociedad, but the Gunners are expected to try and negotiate that figure down.
Meanwhile, David has been scouted for some time, with his form in Ligue 1 for Lille once again catching the eye this season.
