Arsenal have seen a fresh bid for 17-year-old Blackburn Rovers starlet Igor Tyjon rejected.

It's understood the offer was worth in the region of £1million and at this stage, it's unclear whether the Gunners are willing to return to the table for one last bite at the cherry before Monday's 7pm transfer deadline.

The north London club saw multiple proposals - worth over £1m - rejected for the highly-rated prospect last summer as Championship side Rovers were optimistic they would be able to tie Tyjon down to professional terms and fast-track him directly into their first-team squad.

However, pending further developments, he now looks poised to quit Ewood Park in the summer for a small compensation fee and in the background, the race for his signature is swiftly beginning to intensify.

Arsenal were initially relaxed about waiting until the end of the season to land Tyjon but multiple top-flight Polish clubs including Jagiellonia Bialystok and Rakow Czestochowa have now entered the fray (they are interested in a deal for the summer) while the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa are believed to be monitoring developments from afar.

Italian side Atalanta are also tracking the attacker, who has interest from Germany too.

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Tyjon was born in Southport to Polish parents and previously represented Poland U16s before switching international allegiance to England.

He's since scored two goals in 12 appearances for England U17s and has also found the target three times in five appearances for the Three Lions at U18 level.

The teenager made his Championship debut back in September 2024, coming off the bench in a 3-0 home win over Bristol City.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are also exploring a last-minute loan signing after losing versatile midfielder Mikel Merino to a bone fracture in his foot.

The dependable Spaniard is set to undergo surgery and while there's hope he'll be back before the end of the season, the Gunners are actively considering their options as they look to leave no stone unturned in the Premier League title race.

The issue they're facing is any potential deal faces numerous hurdles as time is also of the essence.

Mikel Arteta has repeatedly stressed in previous windows that he's not interested in signing players for the sake of it.

He does not want numbers and would only look to bring in quality or a player that could lift or improve the group.

Finding someone that can do that - within reasonable financial reach - is a serious test of Andrea Berta's expertise this late in the window.

The club have two loan spots free within their current Premier League quota but Arsenal are expected to look abroad, too.

Ruben Neves is a player Arteta has been interested in signing in the past during his time at Wolves.

He's currently out of contract at Al-Hilal in the summer (June 30) and has been heavily linked with a return to Europe over the course of the past month.

However, the Portuguese midfielder is now thought to be in advanced talks over a new deal with the Saudi Pro League leaders.

Neves is the kind of profile that would appeal to Arsenal due to his experience but he does not appear to be a realistic target.

Arsenal have 18-year-old Lille gem Ayyoub Bouaddi on their shortlist, he's a player they're due to seriously assess at the end of the season and it remains to be seen whether they potentially explore bringing that interest forward in light of Merino's injury.