Arsenal have been looking at signing Dejan Kulusevski - but there could be more than meets the eye over a move for the Swede.
Plenty of reports have come out in recent weeks linking Arsenal with a bid for the Juventus star, who's out of favour with returning manager Max Allegri. Gunners fans have speculated about where the attacker fits into Arteta's plans, too.
Kulusevski is usually deployed on the right-wing for club and country. Though he can function in midfield, too, this makes interest in his services curious, as Arsenal have a number of similar players for this role.
The Gunners' main right-winger, Bukayo Saka, is arguably the best player at the club at current. Mikel Arteta re-signed Martin Odegaard after his loan spell from Real Madrid - and he has played both as an attacking midfielder and a right-winger in his career.
Club record signing Nicolas Pepe has been relegated to the bench of late, while Gabriel Martinelli has impressed in brief appearances on the right. Arsenal also have Reiss Nelson on loan at Feyenoord, while Omari Hutchinson in the academy is a right-winger who is thriving at youth level and poised for a breakthrough sooner rather than later.
With Kulusevski a big name as well, maybe his future lies elsewhere in a team.
Arsenal have been linked with strikers in recent weeks, with fellow Serie A starlet Dusan Vlahovic touted as a big target. Arteta was also keen on Tammy Abraham, according to reports, as the north Londoners look to replace Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, who are both set to walk away for free in the summer.
Kulusevski, however, might be an option up front. The 21-year-old is tall, strong and a good finisher; he presses well and can dribble in tight spaces. There are obvious parallels with the deft control and physicality of fellow Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
With Arsenal having toyed with a 4-4-2 formation, Kulusevski could well be the perfect left-footer to accompany Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack. His natural inclination to drop deep could well be preferable too, as Arteta moulds him into the kind of player that he would like in his system. Kulusevski is particularly versatile and can turn his hand to plenty of different roles, which could favour him playing for a coach who likes to switch tactics often.
The Juventus wide man is valued at around £35m on Transfermarkt.
