Brazilian midfielder's father confirms Arsenal transfer interest

The father of Gerson has confirmed that Arsenal are one of the contenders to sign the midfielder during the next transfer window.

The Gunners are on the search for a new midfielder and they have been regularly linked with Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey.

However, in an interview with ESPN, Gerson's father has revealed that the north London side have been monitoring the Brazilian's progress.

"Nobody knew about Arsenal, but now that I'm telling you so everyone will know," Marcos Santos told ESPN Brasil.

Gerson is a central midfielder by trade but he has also featured in the holding midfield role or on the right side of the attack for Flamengo.

The Gunners pursued Pablo Mari from the Brazilian side on loan in January and they are expected to sign him permanently in the summer.

It remains to be seen whether they will continue their association by making a bid for Gerson, who is also attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur.