Renato Sanches has admitted that he is ready to leave Lille and start a fresh challenge.
The Portuguese star has been linked with a move to Arsenal and AC Milan lately, and it seems as though he's willing to relocate as soon as possible.
Arsenal reportedly tried to sign Sanches in the summer transfer window, but were unwilling to meet Lille’s €35million (£30million) asking price.
That is according to Gazetta dello Sport, via football365, who state that Lille were open to selling Sanches, but they were not offering the 24-year-old out for a cut-price figure.
Essentially, as the Ligue 1 outfit were unwilling to negotiate, the Gunners were put off and addressed other targets instead.
However, as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield options in the coming window - an area of his side that undoubtedly needs strengthening - Arsenal have been linked with a move for him once again.
He's now admitted that he was actually close to swapping Lille for Barcelona recently, but an injury meant that a deal never materialised.
Nevertheless, it shows that he was ready to move on, and he continues to be flattered by interest from some of Europe's top clubs.
“Who is interested in me? Maybe Milan and Arsenal are interested, but I don’t know. I talked to my agent, I know which clubs are calling and which are not, but now I can’t tell. But I know I’m ready. If it happens, I’ll see what’s best for me,” he told L'Equipe, via MilanNews.
“Milan? It’s a great club, a historic club. The class. I like it. I was supposed to go to Barcelona in the summer, then my injury blew everything up. Leave in January? I know I’m ready. If an offer comes in.”
The 24-year-old would be a welcome addition at the Emirates but the Gunners may need to act fast if they're going to fight off competition for his signature.
