JOSE MOURINHO could still land long-term target Granit Xhaka from Arsenal this month.
The Roma boss has long admired the Gunners hardman and tried to sign him last summer.
Reports at the time suggested the Serie A giants had agreed personal terms with the player but couldn’t get the deal past club bigwigs at the Emirates.
But outlets in Italy now suggest Mourinho is back in for the 29-year-old and hopes to land him before the transfer window slams shut next week.
Any deal for the midfielder will not necessarily be straightforward though.
Both Corriere dello Sport and La Gazzetta dello Sport say Mou will have to offload a player before he is able to bring in his man.
A likely candidate is Amadou Diawara, but the Guinea international has already rejected a move to Valencia.
The 24-year-old reportedly earns around £1.8million a year and finding a buyer to match his wages is proving difficult.
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Arsenal are thought to have slapped a £16.6m price tag on Xhaka, with Roma prepared to pay in instalments to match that.
Xhaka has had a forgettable season so far in North London.
The Switzerland star has been sent off twice and missed three months due to a knee ligament injury.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is currently tracking Wolves’ Ruben Neves, with his arrival potentially paving the way for Xhaka’s exit.
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