Arsene Wenger is prepared to break Arsenal’s club record transfer fee for the second time in a matter of days to sign Marouane Fellaini.

The Gunners are closing in on a record £22million deal for Gonzalo Higuain and now the Arsenal manager is considering activating Fellaini’s £23m release clause at Everton.

All parties are confident Higuain will soon be joining the Gunners from Real Madrid.

Wenger’s attention will now turn to other players, with the Frenchman determined to act quickly after several summers in which the club’s transfer activity was dictated by the protracted departures of leading players. The Arsenal boss has been an admirer of Fellaini for some time. Aside from being a proven success in the Premier League, the Belgium international has the versatility that Wenger craves in potential targets, given Fellaini’s ability to play in midfield and as a striker.

Wenger must now weigh up whether to activate the player’s release clause after Everton made it clear they would not sell for less. Fellaini is thought to be open to a move in the wake of David Moyes’s departure to Manchester United and Wenger had hoped he would be available for less than £23m.

But the Merseyside club will not accept anything less than that figure, forcing Wenger to assess his options. The Higuain deal is proof Arsenal have the financial firepower they once lacked and are prepared to use it.

Moyes could yet decide to take Fellaini with him to Old Trafford but with United in advanced talks to sign another midfielder, Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona, a move for his former player would appear less likely. Arsenal continue to monitor Wayne Rooney’s situation at United but, despite reports the striker is unsettled, it is understood the Gunners have not yet been encouraged to make a bid.

Rooney is set to discuss his future with Moyes and although Arsenal will register their interest should he leave, they will face stiff competition for his signature.

Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne will fight for a place in Chelsea’s first team after talks with Jose Mourinho.

De Bruyne spent the second half of last season on loan at Werder Bremen after joining Chelsea from Genk and his agent Patrick De Koster said: “We didn’t receive any guarantees but it’s normal at Chelsea. It’s up to him to prove like he did in the last 18 months.”

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