Arsenal have held discussions with AC Milan about signing Sandro Tonali, according to journalist Enrico Camelio.

The Italian reporter claims that the Gunners have expressed an interest in the Italian international, but they were told that the player would only be sold if they met his €55m (£46.4m) valuation:

“Milan and Arsenal met and talked about Tonali. The Rossoneri have declared that the midfielder is not transferable, but if a proposal for 55 million arrives, Milan could sell him and make two purchases [of their own].”

Tonali’s name hasn’t been mentioned by journalists in the English press but he is the type of midfielder that manager Mikel Arteta is said to be looking for.

The 22-year-old is a deep-lying playmaker and can dictate tempo in matches. For that reason, he may be a more attractive target than someone like Youri Tielemans, who is a more attack-minded player.

Milan’s asking price for Tonali is, though, pretty steep, so it is likely that Arsenal will look elsewhere as they seek to strengthen their options in the middle of the park.

In addition to Tielemans, the likes of Lazio Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta have been looked at but they would probably be even more expensive than Tonali.