Manchester City appear hesitant about pressing ahead with negotiations over one of their most prominent summer targets. That opens the door for Arsenal to charge in and snatch the deal.
City have left Arsenal the room to sign Chelsea winger Pedro Neto, one of the top targets of the club's new manager Enzo Maresca.
According to Metro, Maresca sees the Portugal international as the ideal replacement for Savinho, who recently joined Tottenham.
The pair worked effectively together at Stamford Bridge, and Pep Guardiola's successor wants to reunite with the former Wolverhampton star at the Etihad.
Chelsea, for their part, are happy with the player and believe he could play a major role under new manager Xabi Alonso, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Should Chelsea decide to sell the 26-year-old, it would take a significant fee. They would want a substantial profit on the £54 million they paid Wolverhampton two years ago.
For now, there is a "huge gap" between what City are willing to pay and Chelsea's demands.
The same applies to the future of Enzo Fernandez, another name linked with a move to City. Chelsea are refusing to lower their £120 million valuation and would prefer to keep their captain.
City hesitant
City's reluctance to meet the asking price for Neto could hand Arsenal an opening. The Gunners want a left winger and chased Neto when he was on the verge of leaving Wolverhampton.
Arsenal have already signed Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge this summer, and while he has made an encouraging start with the Premier League champions through several eye-catching pre-season displays, Mikel Arteta wants to strengthen his attack even further.
Whether Arsenal, who have grown used to buying from their London rivals in recent years, make a concrete offer for Neto remains to be seen. Their former player Jeremie Aliadiere has urged the Gunners to look for cheaper options after they failed to sign Vinicius Junior.
Aliadiere believes Arsenal need to balance their ambition in the market with their finances, pointing out that spending around £150 million on a new winger may not be the way to go.
He rated Pedro Neto a good option thanks to his long experience in the Premier League, but stressed that the club has already completed the £40 million signing of left winger Christos Tzolis. Keeping all options open, he argued, is the best decision financially.