Arsenal thrown lifeline in race to sign 'next Odegaard' after club present to family

could be thrown a lifeline in their bid to bolster their midfield ranks with one of Europe's most exciting talents. The Gunners previously appeared destined to miss out on the signing of Rosenberg star Sverre Nypan, but his move to looks to have hit the rocks.

is keen to shake up his ranks this summer, with attacking reinforcements being eyed as well as a second-choice goalkeeper to cover David Raya. An injection of fresh legs into midfield isn't being ruled out either, with Martin Zubimendi already expected to arrive from Real Sociedad.

Arsenal were previously among the cohort of clubs to show an interest in signing teenage playmaker Nypan too, along with and Girona. However, the 18-year-old appeared to favour a move to work with Unai Emery at Aston Villa.

According to , Villa's recruitment staff made a strong effort to convince Nypan of the club's project and presented their ideas to his family about how he would be integrated into their team in both the short and long-term.

Despite being front-runners in the race, Villa's pursuit now appears to be in doubt as an agreement with the player is yet to be reached. There are 'severe doubts' over the deal, which could be music to the ears of the midfielder's other suitors.

A fee in the region of £10million was largely cited as being enough to strike a deal with Rosenborg previously, and that could be a small price to pay for a youngster tipped as being one of the most exciting talents in Europe.

The Norwegian has often drawn comparisons to Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard since breaking through in the Eliteserien, and he could look to follow in the footsteps of the 26-year-old by heading to the Emirates Stadium if the race to secure his signature is blown back open.

The Gunners may be forced to change their approach to convince Nypan of the move having failed with their previous approach, but a second-place finish in the Premier League certainly won't be a deterrence - especially with Arteta talking up a spending spree in north London as his side bids to finally get their hands on the title after coming agonisingly close in recent campaigns.