Arsenal have been told that they would have to fork out €40m (£34.7m) to land RB Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku in the upcoming transfer market.
The Gunners are reportedly prioritising a permanent move for Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard, but Mikel Arteta is thought to already have his eye on alternative playmakers if a deal for Odegaard cannot be struck.
Nkunku's future at Leipzig is currently up in the air and he is supposedly on the Gunners' list of possible targets, but journalist Christian Falk believes that a move for the 23-year-old could prove "difficult" despite rumours that he is unhappy at Julian Nagelsmann's side.
Speaking to Bild, Falk said: "Leipzig is a bit shaken at the moment, and so Nkunku is also on the out list. I would say it will be difficult because he is tied down (his contract runs until 2024) and has a €40m (£34.7m) market value.
"There are, of course, alternatives, Julian Draxler, who is available on a free transfer, or Julian Brandt, who is on the cut list at Dortmund. They are a bit easier to achieve, but from a quality point, they would, of course, be a club that would definitely be an upgrade for him."
Nkunku has amassed seven goals and eight assists from 32 appearances across all competitions this term. body check tags ::