Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Benfica winger Andrija Zivkovic by scouting the Serbian for a second week in a row.
Two Portuguese newspapers Record and O Jogo say that Gunners representatives were present for Benfica’s 3-1 win against Portimonense on Saturday.
Usually these publications will mention the presence of club scouts at Benfica games, but both say that Arsenal were there specifically to keep an eye on Zivkovic.
The 21 year old, who reportedly has a release clause of £52.5m, started his second successive match in a central midfield role, and he will no doubt have impressed observers with his performance in his new position.
Zivkovic made it 3-1 to Benfica deep into injury time with a left footed strike to secure victory. He has not generally been a regular in the first team this season, but manager Rui Vitoria’s decision to employ him in a more central area seems to be paying off.
This campaign, the Serbian international has made 18 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and contributing four assists.