Emirates Stadium side in contact with top striker’s agent after several successful scouting missions.
Arsenal are reportedly leading Chelsea in the race to sign in-form Benfica striker Talisca according to the Daily Star.
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The 20 year old Brazilian has been in amazing form this season and is the Primeira Liga’s top scorer having already netted six times this term and Gunners scouts are said to have been in attendance to watch Talisca in action for the Under 21 national team’s encounter with Bolivia last Friday.
That was the third time Arsene Wenger had sent scouts to track the youngster and has now made contact with the player’s agent.
Talisca only moved to the Portuguese capital in the summer and has signed a five year deal with Benfica and that may explain his £17m valuation though this price-tag hasn’t scared off the north London club.
Wenger apparently sees the youngster as a potential replacement for Lukas Podolski, who could be set to leave in January, with Inter Milan keen on the under-used German.
Arsenal’s interest comes despite the fact that the Premier League side invested over £50m in Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck over the summer though perhaps the continued injury concerns over Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud may be a factor.