Arsenal Make Contact with Benfica Over Proposed Move for Rodrigo - Report

Arsenal have increased their efforts to bring another forward to the Emirates after the club made contact with Benfica over a possible deal for Rodrigo Moreno, reports in Portugal suggest.

The Gunners are reportedly one of three teams interested in securing a last minute deal for the Brazilian born Spaniard before Friday's transfer deadline with Valencia and Zenit St Petersburg also vying for his signature.

But O Jogo report that Arsenal are in pole position to enlist his services and will launch an official bid imminently should Arsene Wenger give the move green a light.

The Arsenal boss is reportedly a keen admirer of the former Real Madrid youth player and believes his presence up front will be perfect foil for his vibrant attacking options and a significant boost to the club's quest to secure their first Premier League crown in 10 years.

Reports last week suggested Benfica had accepted a £25m bid from Zenit for the forward, but the club are yet to hold talks with the player. But Arsenal have since entered preliminary talks with the Portuguese giants to find out how much it will cost them to bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League .

The Gunners' hopes of striking a deal have been also lifted by the fact that Rodrigo, who spent a season on loan in the Premier League with Bolton Wanders during the 2010/11 campaign, is not particularly keen on a move to Russia.

While preferring to wait until the summer before making substantial additions to his side, Wenger has little choice but to investigate other options this month after Theo Walcott was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Alvaro Morata and Dimitar Berbatov were both intensely linked with a move to the Emirates but a move for either striker seems unlikely as we enter the final five days of the transfer window.