Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has claimed that there is 'no way' Arsenal sign Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin this month.
The Gunners are desperate to sign a long-term replacement for exiled captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as out-of-contract strikers Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette.
Technical director Edu has spent the last few weeks chasing Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic but as football.london reported earlier this month, the Serbian international always favoured a move to Juventus or Inter Milan, with the former now expected to sign the player before Monday night's deadline.
Mikel Arteta's side have since been linked with a number of alternatives to Vlahovic, including the likes of Real Sociedad frontman Alexander Isak and Jonatha David of Lille.
Another name that has been touted as a potential target is England international Calvert-Lewin but Ferdinand has played down talk of the talented centre-forward joining the north Londoners in the coming days.
"There’s no way," he told his Vibe with Five YouTube channel when asked about the 24-year-old making a move to the Emirates Stadium.
"I don’t think Everton let Calvert-Lewin go in this window, no chance. He’s one of the crown jewels. No way!"
Former Liverpool star John Barnes has also weighed in on the Sheffield-born frontman joining Arsenal this month, claiming that the Gunners would struggle to finalise a deal midway through the season.
"Arsenal have been linked with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, which would be a good signing for them," Barnes told Bonus Code Bets last month.
"He’s young, English, shows good commitment and effort, but he is currently an Everton player and right now, he won’t want to leave there.
"The Everton fans love him, he’s doing well there, and he needs to show that level of consistency for club and country before he can think about moving to one of the bigger clubs.
"Realistically he hasn’t done a lot for Everton to even talk about him warranting a move. However, if he was to go to Arsenal, it would be a brilliant signing for both parties, especially Arsenal."
