Arsenal and another London club have proposed a player plus cash deal for Leicester midfielder James Maddison, football.london understands.
football.london revealed last month that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is an admirer of Maddison and will target him this summer, with Martin Odegaard looking increasingly likely to stay at Real Madrid after returning from his loan spell at Emirates Stadium.
A source close to Maddison told football.london that the 24-year-old is 'at the top of the list' for Arsenal in the summer transfer window.
football.london has been told that negotiations are 'very slow' and 'like a game of chess' but Maddison remains keen on a move to north London.
The major sticking point for Arsenal however, is Leicester's demands of over £60million for the former Norwich and Coventry midfielder.
However, it's understood that the Gunners have sounded out the possibility of signing Maddison by offering different players in the deal via intermediaries to make the transfer fee more viable.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are among the players available for transfer this summer, although it is not confirmed who has been offered as the makeweight.
Martin Ødegaard is still an option for Arsenal if they fail to get Maddison this summer, with Real Madrid open to letting the Norway captain leave for the right price.
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