Edu has been chasing the signature of Dusan Vlahovic like cat and mouse but, despite Arsenal reportedly favourites for the Serbian, Mikel Arteta has outlined new orders.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the Gunners' FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest, the Spaniard addressed his side's midfield situation, confirming his intentions in the January transfer window.
Arteta said: "We are very, very short at the moment. We are going to move and we are going to look for options because we are very short there."
The Arsenal boss' words could hint at a diversion of Edu's attention away from Vlahovic; Arteta might not necessarily be ruling out a move for a striker but instead realigning the club's priorities.
With a new transfer plan in place, the Gunners may be inclined to ditch their pursuit of Fiorentina's talisman and instead eye a cheaper alternative which opens the door to great funding for Arteta's midfielder wish.
While many Gooners may be pleased to hear about their strong position in the race for Vlahovic, Arsenal have been linked with the £63 million striker for a while but have no more than a rumour to show for it.
Edu risks just being a chess piece in Fiorentina's masterplan to orchestrate a bidding war for a player who has emerged as the backup option for top clubs that miss out on Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
The north London side could hijack Manchester United and Tottenham's pursuit of River Plate striker Julian Alvarez, who has a €20 million (£16.8m) release clause, according to Spanish outlet El Pais.
Not only would the 21-year-old save Edu approximately £46 million - that could be otherwise spent on a midfielder - but the Argentine would likely enjoy a smoother transition than Vlahovic into Arteta's philosophy.
It is also worth noting that in his last full season for River Plate, Alvarez enjoyed a greater goals plus assists return per 90 minutes, with and without the aid of penalties, than Mohamed Salah.
The youngster can also operate on the wing as well as centrally, making him Arteta's very own cheap alternative to Salah.
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