There have been concerns surrounding Rice this week, as Arsenal are still yet to officially confirm his arrival despite agreeing a deal last week, but David Ornstein has reassured supporters that everything is "done and dusted".
The England international will apparently make his move to north London for a club record £105 million total fee, a transfer which makes Rice the most expensive British player in history, usurping the likes of Jack Grealish and Jude Bellingham.
Arsenal's total outlay exceeds £200 million, but despite their lavish spending, it is believed they could add even more fresh faces to manager Mikel Arteta's roster.
Southampton starlet Romeo Lavia, for instance, is a player they remain "in the mix" for and there have been suggestions they could sign more attacking players before the window shuts.
One of them could well be Gremio star Bitello, with the Brazilian enjoying a fine campaign for his club and standing out as one of their key players.
bitello-gremio
This has apparently attracted Arsenal's interest as South American news outlet Correio Do Povo explain this week.
Emirates Stadium officials are currently in Brazil, the city of Porto Alegre, to assess the attacking midfielder as they prepare a proposal for his services.
Indeed, Arsenal are readying an offer for Bitello, with an "official document" expected to arrive "in the coming days". It is believed they are also poised to reach Gremio's value for the player, and thus, Gremio will allow their man to leave.
Not much else is said on the 23-year-old's potential move to the Premier League, but this update comes as a pretty enticing one given Bitello's real talent.How good is Bitello?
The South American ace has been called a key asset for Gremio over the last few seasons, coming after they've won three consecutive Campeonato Gaucho state titles.
Playing alongside former Liverpool and Atletico Madrid star Luis Suarez, Bitello is often deployed as an attacking midfielder just behind the Uruguayan.
Over his latest Brazilian Serie A campaign, the forward stood out as Gremio's best-perfoming regular by average match rating - chipping in with three goals in 13 league starts (WhoScored).
Bitello also ranks in their top four in terms of shots at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 in the final third - making him quite the exciting prospect for Arsenal supporters (WhoScored).
Members of the press, like scout writer Ben Mattinson of Breaking The Lines, are in no mind of his obvious ability - with Bitello even being called Gremio's "main player" alongside the likes of Suarez.
"With great technical ability and passing range, Bitello has become a key figure for Grêmio," said Mattinson on Twitter.
"If anything is probably their main player alongside Luis Suárez who leads the line for them."
0 Comments