Sporting Lisbon are reportedly willing to lower their asking price for William Carvalho to allow Arsenal to complete the signing of the midfielder.
Premier League rivals Chelsea have expressed an interest in signing the Portuguese international, who impressed in the Primeira Liga last season.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for much of the summer, and reports suggested that the Gunners would have to pay £24m to secure his services.
However, Sporting would accept a lower fee from the Gunners for Carvalho, provided that the player is sent back to the Portuguese club on a season-long loan, according to Tutto Mercato.
Carvalho made 29 appearances for Sporting last season, scoring four goals in the process.