Arsenal have held fresh talks over a move for Aston Villa central defender Ezri Konsa.
It is understood the Gunners have signalled an intention in recent days to improve on their initial proposal of around £30m for the England international.
However, Arsenal’s valuation still falls significantly short of the £60m Villa want for Konsa.
Villa are showing no inclination, as things stand, to accept anything below their asking price.
The 28-year-old, who is still on holiday after the World Cup, is Mikel Arteta’s preferred defensive target.
Having signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, the Premier League champions have turned their attention to defence – and look favourably on Konsa’s versatility.
Multiple sources had told BBC Sport the Gunners also held exploratory talks with Tottenham over a potential move for their club captain Cristian Romero before Spurs agreed a fee with Atletico Madrid.
Konsa played 48 games in all competitions last season for Aston Villa, winning the Europa League.
