Arsenal are thinking about “making an offer” for former Lille midfielder Xeka, according to Calciomercato.com.

The Italian site claims that the Portuguese player is being considered as an option by the Gunners who are short of numbers in the middle of the park.

Mohamed Elneny is expected to be out until January with a hamstring injury, leaving manager Mikel Arteta with just three central midfielders: Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Offering a short-term deal to Xeka would, therefore, make sense in that regard. The 27-year-old was a regular starter for Lille in the French top flight last season but he left the Ligue One side when his contract expired back in June.

As he is available on a free transfer, he can still join a team despite the window having closed at the start of the month. However, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will make an approach, considering Partey has now returned to fitness.