Leicester to face competition from Arsenal for Porto midfielder

Arsenal are prepared to rival Leicester in the race to sign Porto midfielder Otavio in the summer, reports the Leicester Mercury. 

The Brazilian is a free agent in the summer and a host of top clubs across Europe are tracking the 25-year-old. 

Indeed, Premier League pair Arsenal and Leicester wouldn't be the only sides pushing to land Otavio for nothing, with Serie A duo AC Milan and Roma also keeping tabs on the Porto star. 

Porto are keen to keep Otavio in Portugal, but their efforts have been in vain after he rejected their latest offer of a new deal, prompting a surge of interest in the player. 

Otavio has scored twice and provided an additional four assists for title contenders Porto in Liga NOS this season, with his WhoScored rating of 7.61 the second best in Portugal's top tier this term. 

Arsenal are looking to sign a new creative midfielder and while Otavio wouldn't arrive until the summer, the Gunners could strike a deal to bolster their attacking ranks at the end of the season.

However, the same report quotes insidefutbol claiming the Foxes have already made an offer for Otavio.