Arsenal are reportedly facing competition for the potential transfer of highly-rated Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.
The Switzerland international has shone in the Bundesliga and has previously been mentioned as a target for the Gunners by Bild.
Arsenal’s hopes of signing Zakaria may have been dealt a blow, however, as Todo Fichajes report that Roma have held talks with Gladbach over a deal, with discussions said to have accelerated recently.
The report explains that Gladbach are under pressure to sell Zakaria as he won’t renew his contract, so it could be that the 24-year-old will be on the move soon.
Jose Mourinho was keen to bring Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka to Roma in the summer, according to Todo Fichajes, but it seems Zakaria could now be his main target as an alternative.
Some might see this as a double blow for Arsenal, as they could perhaps have offloaded the under-performing Xhaka and then faced less competition for Zakaria, who could have been an ideal replacement.
Mikel Arteta will surely now have to look elsewhere for new signings in the middle of the park, with upgrades still needed on Xhaka, as well as on the injury-prone Thomas Partey, while loaned-out duo Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi both seem unlikely to have long-term futures at the Emirates Stadium.