Arsenal has expressed interest in acquiring a Chelsea player and is willing to spend £86m to secure the deal.

Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, is determined to strengthen his team even further as he looks to build a powerhouse squad. The Gunners have set their sights on Chelsea's talented striker, Joao Pedro, and are willing to shell out an impressive £86m for the Brazilian's services. Arteta has already made some shrewd signings this summer, bringing in Christos Tzolis, Illan Meslier, and securing Piero Hincapie on a permanent deal.

But he's not done yet. The club is also reportedly on the verge of sealing an £80m deal for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, as well as making a sensational move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior. In addition to these midfield reinforcements, Arteta is also keen to bring in a new striker to the Emirates Stadium, especially after Viktor Gyokeres' underwhelming first season with the Gunners.

He had his sights set on Julian Alvarez at the start of the transfer window, but a deal for the Argentinian seems unlikely as his current club, Atletico Madrid, are demanding over £100m. Interestingly, Arsenal were previously linked with Pedro before he made his £60m move to Chelsea. But now, they have revived their interest in the 24-year-old, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.

The Gunners even expressed their willingness to pay 100m euros for Pedro, but Chelsea were quick to reject their offer. Pedro is highly regarded by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy and is considered an 'untouchable' member of the squad. This stance was made clear when Barcelona also showed interest in signing him.

In fact, Chelsea are now preparing to offer Pedro a new, long-term contract, despite him already being tied to the club until 2032. Last season, Pedro was one of Chelsea's standout performers, scoring an impressive 20 goals in all competitions and keeping the highly-rated Liam Delap out of the team. Although the Blues finished 10th in the Premier League, they will be looking for better results this season under the guidance of their new manager, Xabi Alonso, who previously played for Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Despite the disappointing finish, Pedro described last season as the best of his career. In an interview with Chelsea's official website, he said, "I'm very happy. I think it's one of the best seasons of my life.

The expectations were high, but I always try to have a positive mentality and help my teammates in any way I can." Pedro has eight caps for Brazil, but surprisingly, he was left out of Carlo Ancelotti's squad for this summer's World Cup. However, he has been in impressive form during pre-season, scoring a hat-trick in just nine minutes in a friendly against Western Sydney Warriors. Chelsea recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in another pre-season match, but they will continue their preparations for the upcoming season with games against Juventus, AC Milan, and Johor Darul Ta'zim.

Chelsea's first Premier League game is against their west London rivals, Fulham, on August 24, followed by their first home game against Brighton. With the new season just around the corner, it will be interesting to see how Pedro and his teammates perform under their new manager's guidance.