Bruno Lage has already suggested that it will be difficult to prize Ruben Neves away from Wolves before January's transfer deadline.
The Gunners have been desperate to add a midfielder to their ranks ever since losing Ainsley Maitlland-Niles on loan to Roma earlier in the window, leaving Mikel Arteta's side short in the central area.
Whilst Arsenal were eyeing Neves, it appeared as though they were focusing their efforts on signing an alternative throughout the transfer window in the form of Juventus star Arthur Melo.
football.london previously reported that the Gunners were hopeful of sealing a deal for the Brazilian international before the conclusion of the winter window but a move has proven tricky to complete.
According to reports in Italy, Juventus want to either seal a permanent sale of the former Barcelona man or alternatively an 18-month loan, but the Gunners were thought to only be prioritising a six-month loan for Arthur.
As that deal seemingly went cold, links of Neves to Arsenal resurfaced.
According to The Sun, Wolves will only consider bids between £40m-£45m for his services, with Manchester United previously hoping that an offer of £35m would be enough.
But if manager Lage's previous words are anything to go by, the Portuguese midfielder will be staying put in the West Midlands.
As per our colleagues at Birmingham Live, speaking in November, Lage said: “We need to understand the financial part. January is sometimes a difficult month, so we need to understand the best deals. If the best deal comes with the right player, for me it’s good.
“The main point for January is that everyone should continue with us. For me, no one goes. Everyone continues with us. Maybe we need one or two players to improve our squad.”
With a matter of hours left before tonight's deadline, it looks as though there may be too much for Arsenal to do to sign Neves, and they may have to wait until the summer to act on their reported interest.
