Arsenal transfer news: Gunners 'prepare' £22m offer for young midfielder who likes one thing about Mikel Arteta's team

Arsenal are reportedly preparing to significantly escalate their pursuit of highly rated Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon ahead of the January transfer window.

The 21-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting prospects in Brazilian football and is currently thriving as a key pillar in Fernando Diniz's side.

According to Sport Witness, the Gunners have closely monitored his rapid development over recent months and previously contacted his representatives to gather preliminary information without submitting a formal proposal.

However, the North London outfit are now actively considering launching an opening offer in excess of €25m (£22m) to ruthlessly fend off mounting competition for his coveted signature.

Bruno Guimaraes 'connection' could prove crucial

The Premier League heavyweights are hoping to leverage a highly convenient international connection to convince the youngster to make the lucrative switch to the Emirates Stadium.

Bidon recently received his first senior call-up to the Brazil national team and publicly revealed his immense admiration for Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The emerging talent spent considerable time working alongside the former Newcastle United star during the international break and admitted he was incredibly impressed by his winning mentality.

The Arsenal hierarchy will undoubtedly be hoping that Guimaraes can act as an invaluable intermediary to smoothly facilitate any potential transfer and heavily influence Bidon's final decision.

Bidon to Arsenal? Juventus and Besiktas also 'monitoring' Brazilian prospect

Securing a successful agreement will certainly not be a straightforward task for Mikel Arteta given the intense interest emanating from several European rivals.

Italian giants Juventus are also aggressively exploring the possibility of launching a formal approach, while Turkish outfit Besiktas previously considered submitting a £15.6m package during the summer transfer window.

Despite their ongoing financial difficulties, Corinthians are believed to be completely content to wait for a substantial bidding war to develop after heavily benefitting from his exceptional recent performances in the Brasileirao.

Any Arsenal move will likely hinge on the Brazilian club either reducing their reported asking price or on the player's willingness to move to North London rather than to Turin or Istanbul.