Cape Town - Arsenal will reportedly have to fork out £1.8 million if they intend to appoint Manchester City assistant manager Mikel Arteta as their next boss.
The assistant boss at the Etihad is now considered one of the prime candidates to replace the sacked Unai Emery, who received his marching orders last week.
City sources have previously indicated they will not stand in the way of the likeable Spaniard, despite him earning an impressive reputation working alongside Pep Guardiola for the last three years.
It is understood the 37-year-old, who earns around £900 000-per-year, still has a contract with 18 months left to run on it.
Former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Arteta, however, is now ready to test himself at the top level and knows he has a number of influential figures pulling for him to be appointed by the Gunners' board.
It seems unlikely the north Londoners would not be willing to pay City what it takes should the former Arsenal midfielder officially be offered the job.
Arteta was close to landing the top position 17 months ago, before brokers at Arsenal decided to go instead with the much more experienced Emery, in the wake of Arsene Wenger leaving the role after more than two decades at the helm.
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers is also one of the main riders, having already admitted he has an escape clause in his deal at King Power stadium.
The former Celtic supremo would cost a sizeable penny to extricate from his current post - certainly more than it will take for Arteta to call time on his spell with the Premier League champions.
Former Netherlands and Barcelona midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst is reportedly in the frame to replace Arteta at the Etihad, having been given privileged access behind the scenes at City in recent months to develop his coaching methods.
- TeamTalk Media