Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal will look to push through their move for Gabriel Paulista this month, rather than wait until the summer.
The Gunners are in talks with Villareal over a move for the Brazilian.
But Paulista will face problems in obtaining a work permit given he hasn't played international football.
Work permit rules change in the summer, allowing players who cost £10m and over an automatic permit.
But as Sportsmail revealed on Wednesday, Arsenal will appeal any decision not to give Paulista - who has a £15million buy out clause - a permit this month in an attempt to land him this month.
And Wenger confirmed: 'The talks are progressing quite well with Villarreal for Paulista. We are talking at the moment and slowly progressing. We are ready to pay the price for a good player.
'We want the player, and if he needs a work permit we will defend it now.'
The Gunners travel to Brighton in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, but will be without forward Danny Welbeck, who is not yet back in full training and will be missing for a further two weeks.
Wenger confirmed that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and Hector Bellerin (ankle) are both uncertainties, while Serge Gnabry is nearing a return to first-team action after resuming full training.
Arsenal this week confirmed the signing of 17-year-old Polish defensive midfielder Krystian Bielik, but he will not play any part for at least three weeks.
'He has only just come from Poland so he is not fit because they had a winter break,' Wenger admitted. 'He won't play. He is not ready for three weeks.'
One player that is likely to play, and has done in every match since mid-December, is Francis Coquelin, who Wenger admitted has been offered a new contract at the Emirates.
The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season, but as revealed by Sportsmail this week, talks over a new deal are now underway and the Gunners are confident of securing the Frenchman to a long-term deal in the coming weeks.
Wenger will give his midfield a shake-up ahead of next season and Coquelin will be part of a new-look Gunners engine room next season.
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