Arsenal transfer rumour: Gunners interested in signing PSG winger Lucas Moura

Arsenal are leading the race in signing Paris Saint-Germain winger Lucas Moura in the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old moved to Paris from his native club Sao Paulo in 2013 and has seen several ups and downs so far with the French club. He scored 16 goals and registered seven assists across all competitions last season, including 12 goals and five assists in the league.

According to the Brazilian publication UOL Sport, the arrival of Neymar from Barcelona at Parc des Princes has complicated the situation for Moura. PSG manager Unai Emery has a lot of options in his side's attack and is willing to allow the Brazil international leave the club.

Emery replaced Laurent Blanc as PSG's manager last summer. The former Sevilla boss does not rate Moura and was planning to allow him to leave the club, even before Neymar arrived at the French capital.

Moura disappointed in his side's 6-1 defeat against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League fixture and that saw PSG exit from the competition. Since their last defeat in the European competition, Emery has decided not to include the South American winger in his plans for the 2017/18 season.

In addition to this, PSG's world-record signing Neymar is also not pushing for his new club to keep Moura at Parc des Princes. The Parisian club are planning to offload the South American winger before the end of the transfer window.

The former Sao Paulo man is attracting interest from England and Italy as PSG are open to the idea of letting him leave. It is believed that Arsene Wenger's side are leading the race for the attacker's signature.

Arsenal have already seen their bid rejected by the Ligue 1 outfit for Moura. Their proposal was less than PSG's price tag of €30m (£27.1m, $35.4m), and the French club will allow their player only if the interested clubs could match their asking price.

Moura's deal with his current employers will run down in 2020. He has already admitted that a move away from PSG is a "possibility" as he targets to join an other European club this summer.

"In every transfer window there is always a lot of speculation. Actually, no offers have been made for me yet, nothing concrete. My agent has not told me about anything yet," Lucas told Diario De Sao Paulo.

"I have a contract until 2020. If something materialises, we will sit and analyse it. Right now, nothing is happening.

"Regarding a return to Brazil, I am not thinking about that. I have objectives I want to reach in Europe. Leaving PSG for another European club could be a possibility for me but I am under contract and I have no offers in front of me at this moment.

"If something arrives, we will see what is best for me and for the club. Right now, though, I am doing well in France."