Arsenal are set to exploit a Premier League loophole if they secure the signing of Dusan Vlahovic.
The Gunners are reportedly close to sealing a deal for the Fiorentina striker.
Reports in Italy have claimed the north Londoners have had a £66million bid accepted for the Serbian.
If a fee can be agreed, Vlahovic will need to thrash out personal terms with Arsenal as well as completing a medical.
Then, there is the matter of registering players which can always throw up some issues for clubs especially when adding reinforcements in January.
But for Arsenal, this will not be an issue given that their squad is filled with youth and homegrown players - and it turns out they actually wouldn't need to register Vlahovic.
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All Premier League teams had to name 25-man squads after the summer transfer window had closed at the beginning of September.
The rules state that no more than 17 overseas players could be named with the remaining eight places available to homegrown members of the squad.
To be considered 'homegrown', players need to have been registered with any club affiliated to The FA or the Welsh FA for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons, or 36 months, before his 21st birthday (or the end of the season during which he turns 21).
The Gunners currently have five players that come under this category as Eddie Nketiah, Rob Holding, Ben White, Calum Chambers and Aaron Ramsdale take up those spots following Ainsley Maitland-Niles' loan move to Roma.
In fact, Arsenal only needed to name a 21-man squad at the beginning of the campaign with Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli all under the age of 21.
This is because, as per Premier League rules: "An Under 21 player is defined as one who is under the age of 21 on 1st January in the year in which the season commences.
"Under-21 players are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players per squad. For the 2021/22 campaign, Under-21 players will have been born on or after 1 January 2000."
Since Vlahovic, 21, was born on 28 January 2000, if he joined Arsenal before the current transfer window closes, just like the aforementioned trio, he too wouldn't have to be registered.
And Mikel Arteta's men would potentially still have room for three more signings.
After Sead Kolasinac's contract was mutually terminated, the Gunners now contains 14 players who are classed as 'non-homegrown' so they can still register three overseas players this month as the limit is 17.
Arsenal are also looking at a midfielder given their current crisis in the middle of the park with Arthur, Bruno Guimaraes, Georginio Wijnaldum and Youri Tielemans linked with a move to the Emirates.
Vlahovic's potential arrival wouldn't impact their ability to sign at least one of these targets.
