Arsenal know the price they must meet to land Legia Warsaw midfielder Krystian Bielik.
The London Evening Standard says Arsenal will have to pay around £2.5million to sign Bielik.
Bielik was due to decide on his future over the festive period and although he is now refusing to publicly declare his intentions, it is understood he has his heart set on a move to Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners thought they had agreed a fee of £1.6million - an improved second offer from their opening bid closer to £1m - but the situation has been complicated by Legia's reluctance to sell and the involvement of Bielik's new agent, Cezary Kucharski.
Legia are hoping to spark a bidding war by claiming other clubs are interested in the 17-year-old - chiefly Italian side Roma - while Kucharski has developed a reputation as a difficult negotiator after facilitating Robert Lewandowski's move from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich.