Arsenal will press ahead with a move for Sporting Lisbon forward Tiago Tomas as they don’t want to repeat the same mistake that saw them miss out on Cristiano Ronaldo 18 years ago, according to the Sun.

The Gunners were said to be close to beating Manchester United for the Portuguese legend before he moved to Old Trafford in 2003, and current technical director Edu feels Tomas has the potential to match the Juventus star.

A price tag of £20m has been placed on the forward’s head, much lower than his £53m release clause, and it has prompted Edu to hold talks with Sporting’s sporting director Hugo Viana about finalising a summer switch.

Tomas has only scored five goals in 25 appearances this season but, at 18 years of age, it is felt he will continue to improve over the next few years. Whether he’ll ever reach Ronaldo’s level, it remains to be seen, but Arsenal’s fear of missing out has led to them making the first move.