Arsenal 'working hard' to steal star from Chelsea as Berta makes shock move

Arsenal are looking to take advantage of Chelsea's congested squad by landing Brazilian Andrey Santos this summer following his impressive loan spell in France

Arsenal are looking to sign Andrey Santos from rivals Chelsea - before he's even played a game for the Blues. The midfielder has impressed during a loan spell at Strasbourg and it remains to be seen whether he can find a route into the first-team under Enzo Maresca.

Santos was signed from Vasco da Gama but has been allowed him to continue his development with stints away on loan. And his exploits in France - where he's scored nine times in 31 league outings - have caught the attention of several clubs.

Strasbourg are Chelsea's sister club but the Blues could yet struggle to retain the Brazilian, albeit they've shown no desire to move on the player. Le10 Sport claims that Arsenal and PSG are putting in the work behind the scenes to try and sign the 21-year-old with Andrea Berta, the new sporting director at the Emirates, looking to strike several deals in the upcoming transfer window.

The Parisians have had the chance to see Santos play against them and, having seen him at close quarters, they are poised to battle it out with the Gunners for his signature this summer.

Santos could command a significant fee with his ability to play in several positions in midfield. The issue for Chelsea will be trying to convince him that pathway exists for him at Stamford Bridge with Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez ahead of him.

Maresca was previously non-committal when it came to addressing Santos' future last month. He said: "Now, we know that Andrey is doing well. But in this moment, we are just focused about how we finish this season. And then when we finish this season, we're going to start to think about next season."

The player himself appeared unsure about his next move. Speaking last month he confessed: "I don't think a specific decision has been made. No-one has come to talk to me directly. Everything is in the hands of the club and my agents."

Arsenal may present a route to more first-team football and they're looking to be active this summer as they bid to win the Premier League at the fourth attempt. A third second place finish on the bounce could be on the cards with Mikel Arteta turning the team into contenders once more, but ultimately falling short.

Berta has come in to replace Edu having previously impressed at Atletico Madrid. Among his priorities this summer will be signing a striker, which is an area Arsenal are yet to address, with a winger is also on the agenda.