Arsenal have joined Chelsea in the race to sign highly-rated Italy midfielder Nicolo Barella.
The Cagliari midfielder has emerged as one of Serie A’s finest young talents, with the 22-year-old scoring his first international goal in Italy’s win over Finland on Saturday.
Arsenal scouts were believed to have watched Barella impress in Italy’s 2-0 victory at the weekend, whilst Chelsea are long-term admirers of the midfielder.
Maurizio Sarri is keen on a deal for a player he knows well from his time in Serie A, with Barella likely to command a fee between £39-£43m.
Inter Milan also expressed an interest in January, with Napoli also reportedly keen.
The Daily Mail are reporting that Arsenal are now ready to push themselves to the front of the queue for Barella’s signature, with boss Unai Emery keen to add to his midfield options with Aaron Ramsey set to join Juventus on a free transfer this summer.