Arsenal, Chelsea interested in signing versatile £40m defender from Serie A giants – originally posted on Sportslens.com
Arsenal and Chelsea could compete for the signature of Inter Milan defender Achraf Hakimi when the transfer window reopens this summer, The Telegraph reports.
The Morocco international made the switch to the Nerazzurri from Real Madrid last year following a successful two-year loan stint with Borussia Dortmund.
Hakimi has generally played at right wing-back for the Nerazzurri and has had a superb debut season with six goals and six assists from 33 outings.
Despite this, there is speculation that he could be on the move this summer with Inter owner Suning Holdings Group looking for new investors at the club.
They recently shut down their operations at Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu and their tight financial situation could see them offload few players at Inter.
Hakimi is on the radar of both Chelsea and Arsenal and it is claimed that the former see him as a winger or midfielder with Reece James regarded as a long-term right-back.
The Gunners, however, are considering him as a replacement for Hector Bellerin, who has been fancied to head through the exit door this summer.
Sportslens view:
Earlier last month, The Athletic mentioned that the Gunners have been closely following the Moroccan since his time in the Real Madrid academy.
The Blues were also linked with the player, but it was reported that their interest had faded with the emergence of James from their youth ranks.
It won’t come as a surprise, if Mikel Arteta’s side are one of the front-runners to sign Hakimi later this year, but the £40m price tag may prove a stumbling block.
Inter are yet to pay their first instalment of the £34.25 million (€40 million) fee to Los Blancos. They may demand a straight-cash deal for Hakimi, if they decide to sell him.
The Gunners may need to offload a few players from their squad in order to recoup funds to sign the 22-year-old, who can play in both full-back/wing-back positions.
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Stats from Transfermarkt.com