Napoli have emerged as the primary contender for the signature of Italian side Udinese’s Moroccan defender Mehdi Benatia.
The 25 year old is being monitored by London clubs Chelsea and Arsenal, but it seems that Serie A side Napoli have edged past them in the race to land the defender. It is believed that Napoli have already contacted Udinese and the talks are said to be in an advanced stage, and that it’s only a matter of time until the defender will leave Udinese.
The Moroccan is highly rated after an excellent season, and could be a real bargain for any club given that Udinese value him at just £8. With the departure of Johan Djorou on the cards, Wenger is keen to bring a suitable replacement to restore the balance and depth of the side, especially given the fact that the Frenchman is targeting the league title next season, and that he has rendered up quite a large list of possible transfer candidates. Chelsea meanwhile are on a summer spending spree and new manager Roberto Di Matteo is interested in signing Benatia in order to replace some of his outgoings, and in the same time make sure that he will be covered if the likes of Cole or Terry start showing their age
Napoli have been pretty active in the transfer market this summer and look to be the likeliest to sign the talented defender.