Arsenal are pushing to sign the midfielder Arthur Melo on loan from Juventus but the Brazil international will be allowed to leave only if his club can find a replacement.

Arthur is understood to be open to joining Arsenal and talks are continuing over the 25-year-old, who moved to Juventus from Barcelona in June 2020 for an initial €72m. The Premier League club are ready to cover his full salary.

Arthur has more often been a substitute than a starter since returning from injury in October. He came on during Juventus’s Supercoppa Italiana defeat by Internazionale on Wednesday night.

The Arsenal defender Pablo Marí is close to completing a loan move to Udinese, who have reached an agreement to bring in Filip Benkovic, another centre-back, after his release by Leicester City.

Arsenal are continuing to pursue the widely coveted Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic and on Wednesday Mikel Arteta insisted the best players in the world were keen to join the club.

“Historically this club has always been targeting the best players in the world and the best players in the world are always interested to come here and I can say that situation hasn’t changed,” the manager said. “Any time I have spoken to any player, they were so willing to come.”