Manchester City have reportedly entered the race to sign Faouzi Ghoulam in the summer, and are preparing an offer for the Napoli fullback.
According to a report by Tuttomercatoweb, Manchester City are the latest team to join the race to sign Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam in the summer. The Algerian is also being followed by the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ghoulam has become a key figure at San Paolo since completing a €5 million move from Saint-Etienne in 2014. A left sided defender in the mould of a modern fullback, the 26-year-old is known for his marauding runs and he also possesses a superb passing range.
A mainstay at the back for Napoli, Ghoulam has played 29 times in all competitions for the Serie A giants this season and has even provided seven assists in these games. Surely enough, his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with a host of European clubs tracking him in recent months.
Of these, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain have shown the most serious of interests, and the three clubs are reported to be vying for his signature.
Chelsea have been long-time admirers of Ghoulam, and with Marcos Alonso being the only recognised option at left wing-back, manager Antonio Conte is said to have identified the Algerian international as a viable transfer target for the summer.
At Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger does have two recognised options in Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs. But, Monreal has shown signs of age catching up with him after several underwhelming performances this season, while Gibbs has failed to stamp his authority, whenever given the chance.
Thus, Arsenal had Ghoulam scouted last month, and are reported to be preparing an offer for the player. Meanwhile, PSG are also in the race to sign the 26-year-old following with reports claiming that veteran defender Maxwell is all set to bid farewell at the end of the season.
With just Layvin Kurzawa as his recognised option at Parc des Princes, Unai Emery is believed to be plotting a summer move for Ghoulam, having had him monitored in recent months. But the three clubs are now set to be joined by Manchester City in pursuit of the defender.
The Premier League club are set to table a €13 million bid for Ghoulam, as per the report, as they prepare to launch the offensive for the player and steal a march on Chelsea, Arsenal and PSG. Indeed, a left-back reinforcement appears to be a pressing need for City boss Pep Guardiola.
That is because neither Aleksandar Kolarov nor Gael Clichy have been consistent enough to nail down a spot in the first team setup, meaning Guardiola has had to regularly rotate the duo in his back four. As a result, he has been eyeing several left-backs, and he seems to have zeroed in on Ghoulam as a top target.
So, the race for Ghoulam appears to be hotting up, and with City set to make a formal offer for the defender, they could put themselves in the driver’s seat. Ghoulam is likely to move away from Napoli, having already rejected a contract renewal and it will be interesting to see how things develop in the summer.
