Reports that Arsenal are close to finalising a deal to sign Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal are wide of the mark, a source has told ESPN.
Spanish radio station Cadena Cope claimed that the move for Chile midfielder Vidal is "close to completion" and that a £21 million fee had been agreed, but the information has not been confirmed.
Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport on Monday reported that Arsenal were preparing to make a move for Vidal, yet the player who has heavily linked with a switch to Manchester United, is not the subject of any bid from the Gunners, the source said.
However, Arsenal are in the market for a defensive-minded midfielder in the Vidal mould and while they appear to have lost out to Manchester United in the race to sign Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, the eagerness of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's to add quality to his squad has not waned.
"It is easy to say we need to sign players, but it is difficult to find anyone who is better than what we already have," Wenger said last month. "We want to bring in players this summer and I have identified the positions we need to strengthen in, but it will not be easy."
Meanwhile, Arsenal's German forward Lukas Podolski's will make a decision on whether he will accept an offer to join Turkish side Galatasaray in the coming days, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
Podolski is currently weighing up the move to Istanbul, with his national team coach Joachim Low confirming he needs to play regular first team football next season if he is to feature in his plans for next summer's Euro 2016 finals.