Arsenal have reportedly joined the long list of clubs aiming to strike a deal for Club Brugge attacker Charles De Ketelaere this summer.
The 21-year-old made his presence felt in the Brugge lineup during the 2021-22 season with 18 goals and 10 assists to boast from 49 games in all competitions.
De Ketelaere won his third consecutive Jupiler Pro League title with Club Brugge last season, as well as claiming the Belgian Super Cup crown and earning eight caps for the Belgium national team.
De Keteleare only has two years left to run on his deal with the Belgium champions and has been linked with a host of clubs for a summer move, namely Leeds United and Leicester City.
However, the attacker is understood to have reservations over a move to Elland Road, allowing Leicester to move into pole position for his signature.
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Now, Calciomercato claims that Arsenal have emerged as one of the top contenders to sign De Ketelaere, who was also understood to be on the radar of AC Milan.
The Rossoneri - who have seen Franck Kessie sign for Barcelona on a free transfer - were supposedly quoted as much as €35m (£30m) to sign De Ketelaere, a figure that they were unwilling to match.
As a result, the Scudetto holders are primed to give up their pursuit of the Belgian, allowing Arsenal to battle the likes of Lyon, Leicester and Leeds for his services.
De Ketelaere has spent the last 14 years on the books at Brugge since joining the club's youth academy and boasts 25 goals and 20 assists from 120 games for the Belgian giants in all tournaments.
Arsenal have prioritised the signings of attacking reinforcements in the summer window, with Alexandre Lacazette returning to Lyon after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left for Barcelona in January.
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After securing the signatures of Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira, Arsenal sealed a £45m deal for Gabriel Jesus, who joined from Manchester City on a five-year deal last week.
Mikel Arteta could still elect to pursue a new face for the final third, with the Gunners seeking to add more depth ahead of their return to the Europa League for the 2022-23 season.
Eddie Nketiah has committed his long-term future to Arsenal, though, and Folarin Balogun could also push for minutes in the first team during their upcoming pre-season period.
Arsenal have already beaten Ipswich Town 5-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at London Colney and have travelled to Germany to face Nurnberg in their next exhibition game on Friday.
The Gunners then travel to the United States to face Everton, Orlando City and Chelsea before facing Sevilla in the Emirates Cup at the end of the month.
Ben Knapton
