Leicester City have joined Arsenal in the pursuit of FC Porto’s wantaway star Otavio, with the Foxes having already made an offer.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, as relayed by Leicester Mercury, Leicester City are among the clubs keeping tabs on Otavio. The FC Porto midfielder is expected to leave the club, with his current contract expiring at the end of the campaign. The Portuguese giants, therefore, could look to cash in on him in the ongoing January transfer window, with Arsenal also courting the 25-year-old.
It has now put several top European clubs on red alert, including Arsenal. These two clubs are joined by the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli and AS Roma in the pursuit of Otavio, who is available for a cut-price for obvious reasons.
An update from transfer expert Nicolo Schira last week had suggested that Arsenal were eyeing a free summer transfer for Otavio. But, with so many clubs more than willing to table an offer for the Brazilian this month, it appears Mikel Arteta needs to act swiftly as well.
A product of the Internacional academy, Otavio could perfectly fit the bill at Arsenal at the moment as they Gunners are keen to sign a playmaker following the exit of Mesut Ozil. The former Real Madrid star has confirmed his move to Turkish club Fenerbahce, in an attempt to revive his career.
For Arsenal, it has left a massive void in the creative department. Although the club has gotten lucky with the emergence of Emile Smith Rowe, they still need reinforcements – players who can compete with the youngster and add more quality to the Arsenal team that is hoping to make a mark in the Premier League during the second half of the campaign.
Arteta’s side has been linked with high profile players such as Emiliano Buendia and Julian Draxler while Real Madrid’s Isco has also been in the mix. But in Otavio, they could get a more cost-effective option in their bid to add more quality in the number ten position.
Although the Brazilian may not be as well-established as any of three aforementioned players, he certainly does have the quality to potentially make a mark at the Emirates. His versatility, in particular, could make him an asset for Arteta, who is in desperate need of option during the second half of the campaign where the club will feature in three competitions.
However, as mentioned earlier, Arsenal need to move quickly, with recent reports from InsideFutbol even suggesting that the Foxes have already made a bid to sign the FC Porto star this month. It will be interesting to see what does the future hold for Otavio this season.
