Arsenal are ready to battle it out with Manchester United for the signature of £35-million rated FC Porto midfielder Vitinha, according to Portuguese newspaper Record.
The Gunners are actively chasing a midfield signing this summer and are reported to be readying themselves to trigger the 22-year-old’s release clause, set at €40 million.
Vitinha has attracted heavyweight interest from Liverpool, Barcelona and Manchester United so far this summer, with Arsenal becoming the latest to join the hunt for the coveted star.
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On loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers back in 2020/21, the West Midlands outfit passed on the opportunity to land the diminutive playmaker for half the price after 23 appearances as a bit-part player.
Vitinha has since been drafted in as a key figure of Porto’s title-winning squad of 2022, however, with the Portugal national team also handing him his first three international caps since the turn of the year.
After four goals and five assists in 47 appearances from the centre of midfield, the Primeira Liga winner saw his name closely linked to United by Record after talks were held last week between super-agent Jorge Mendes and the Red Devils.
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The same outlet, however, now places Arsenal in the mix, eyeing up Vitinha’s release clause at a time where former target Yves Bissouma agrees terms with Tottenham Hotspur and the Youri Tielemans saga drags on.
Arsenal are thought to be confident about landing Tielemans from Leicester City this month, according to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs, but there’s no indication as to what role Vitinha’s name plays in the North Londoners’ transfer plans.
With the two sharing the same midfield role, the in-demand Porto star could well be seen as an alternative to the Gunners’ Belgian target, although the prospect of Arsenal signing both, or even having their name used to drive up interest for Vitinha, cannot be discarded.
Patrick Ribeiro