Arsenal are reportedly set to put their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion's Tariq Lamptey on hold, as the defender is set to undergo surgery.
Mikel Arteta is understood to be keen on strengthening his right-back options in the summer and has identified the 20-year-old as a potential replacement for Hector Bellerin, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, The Athletic reports that Lamptey will miss the remainder of the season, as he is to undergo surgery on a hamstring injury that he has been suffering with for most of this season.
As a result, Arsenal could now be put off from investing heavily in the young defender and may even switch their attention to Norwich City's Max Aarons.
The Canaries youngster, who impressed in his lone season in the Premier League last season, has become a star performer for the Championship club and is expected to move to a bigger club this summer.
Lamptey has featured only 11 times in the Premier League this campaign, scoring once in a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in November.
Oliver Thomas
