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Arsenal are growing increasingly optimistic that they will get the deal to bring Gabriel Jesus over the line - and they are leaving his shirt number free.

Mikel Arteta made it abundantly clear to Gunners bosses that he would need to be backed in the transfer window, having agonisingly missed out on the top four last season. "Players that come here have to be able to take us to the next level,” he explained at the start of the window.

“We already have a level, and we want to see much better standards than we already have, and that is how we’re going to recruit. It's what we planned, but the market is difficult, it's complicated.”

And Arsenal bosses are delivering on his demands and look set to back him heavily in the summer window for the second straight year. Having splashed out almost £150million on new recruits in 2021, there is now an expectation they could spend even more this time around.

Brazilian youngster Marquinhos was the first through the doors, but while the winger was signed with an eye on the future, Fabio Vieira arrives with the aim of having an instant impact. FC Porto have confirmed the attacking midfielder’s transfer in a deal worth £34m.

Vieira makes the switch to north London having helped Porto to the Portuguese title, registering a massively impressive 16 assists in Liga