Arsenal has been linked with Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly as Arsene Wenger prepares to reshuffle the defence ahead of next season.
The Gunners have been restricted to just two victories in the last seven home matches with the defence leaking goal at an unimpressive rate.
Draws against West Ham after leading 2-0 and Crystal Palace in the past weeks, and recently Sunderland are not encouraging and have put the quality and reliability of the defence line in doubt.
Reports coming from Italy have it that the Senegal international has drawn attention from a number of clubs across Europe with his impressive form at the heart of defence for Napoli.
The Metro reported that Arsenal face competitions from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea as well as Spanish giants Barcelona who are also interested in the player.
Il Mattino also reported that the FA Cup champion will have to match the £31.5 million release clause in the centre-back’s contract to bring him to the Emirates.
However, his agent Bruno Satin has made it clear that all discussions about his future will have to wait till end of the season to avoid distracting the player.
According to the Dailystar, Satin told an Italian Radio that: “I understand that Kalidou is on the radar of major clubs because he is doing well, but now is not the time to decide if the player is doing well and will stay in Naples or if it is better for him to leave.”
“As I said though, this isn’t the time to talk about it because second-place is crucial and this kind of talk would be counter-productive. There’s a time to speak and a time to play.”
The 24-year-old moved to Napoli from Belgian club Racing Genk in May 2014. He has made 44 appearances for the Naples and has a goal to his name. He is versatile and can equally play as a defensive midfielder.
There is no doubt that the centre-back position needs some strengthening. Gabriel Paulista has taken a hiding in some games this season and the aged Mertesacker is not to be relied upon. The club is also linked with a move for Kostas Manolas.
