Arsenal have made their move to sign James Maddison this summer.
It is no secret that the Gunners are in the market for a creative midfielder as technical director Edu looks to solve one of the biggest problems that Mikel Arteta faced last season.
Struggling to create chances is something that cost Arsenal dearly during the first half of the 2020/21 campaign, so much so that at one stage they had been outscored by every side in the Premier League other than Sheffield United, Burnley and West Brom.
There were signs that history could repeat itself during the 2-1 pre-season loss against Chelsea at the weekend, as it's clear that Emile Smith Rowe can't carry the creative burden on his own.
As a result, a move had been made to solve this issue.
football.london understands that Arsenal have proposed a player plus cash deal for Leicester's Maddison who has been 'at the top of the list' for Arteta and Edu for much of the summer transfer window.
However, it should be noted that another London club is understood to have come forward with the same proposal.
Another problem is Leicester's demands of more than £60million for the former Norwich and Coventry midfielder - a fee the Gunners could potentially afford via player sales.
Although, it's understood that the north London outfit have sounded out the possibility of signing Maddison by offering a player in the deal via intermediaries to make the transfer fee more viable.
With that said, it is not confirmed who has been offered as the makeweight, although Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah are among the players available for transfer this summer.
If Maddison was to join the Gunners, supporters will be looking forward to seeing the midfielder holding the Arsenal shirt at his unveiling - but what squad number could he take at the Emirates Stadium?
Well, some Arsenal fans on Reddit think the No.8 would be a good option.
And judging by Maddison's admission about his preferred position, No.8 might just be the perfect shirt number for the 24-year-old if he was to seal a move to Arsenal.
"No.8 definitely," Maddison said, as per Leicestershire Live. "I played as a No.10 at the start of last season, and then when the gaffer [Rodgers] came in, I transitioned into a No.8, and sometimes I play off the left.
"I don’t want to be labelled as a No.10. I’m not a No.10. I can’t remember a game where I’ve played as a No.10 this season, maybe West Ham at home."
Interestingly, the No.8 shirt is currently vacant at Arsenal following Dani Ceballos' return to Real Madrid, so perhaps it is being reserved for Maddison if he joins this summer.
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