Paris Saint-Germain have joined Arsenal and Chelsea in pursuit of Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam, as per reports.
French publication Mercato365 have reported that Paris Saint-Germain are targetting Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam for a move in the summer. The Algerian defender has also been heavily linked with Arsenal and Chelsea.
The 26-year-old Ghoulam has made developed quite impressively ever since joining Napoli from Saint-Etienne in a €5 million deal in 2014. He’s into his third season and it’s safe to say that he one of the mainstays in that time.
This season, Ghoulam has been one of the go-to men for Maurizio Sarri, and has made the left flank his own. A typically modern attacking full-back, Ghoulam likes to bomb forward while also possessing remarkable passing range.
He has played 28 times in all competitions for Napoli this season and has been a steady contributor to the side’s attacking output, providing seven assists so far. His stellar performances for the Italian giants has now seen clubs circling around him, with Arsenal and Chelsea heavily linked with Ghoulam.
Chelsea, in fact, have been tracking Ghoulam for a long time now, with Antonio Conte eager to make reinforcements for the wing back positions in the summer. The left wing back slot is a major cause for concern for the Blues boss, with Marcos Alonso the only recognised option to consider.
Ghoulam, with his versatility to seamlessly play as a left-back as well as a left-sided midfielder is a player who would perfectly fit in the left wing back slot in Conte’s system, while providing him with another top quality option to choose from as Chelsea look set to compete on four fronts next season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal had scouts sent to watch Ghoulam last week, with Arsene Wenger keen to sign a left-back for next season. That is because Nacho Monreal has shown signs of slowing down in the current campaign while Kieran Gibbs has failed to remain consistent ever since making his senior debut for the North London club in 2007.
But it looks like both Arsenal and Chelsea are set to face competition from PSG for the signature of Ghoulam. Veteran defender Maxwell is in the final year of his contract at Parc des Princes and is likely to bid farewell at the end of the season by taking up an ambassador role with Les Parisiens.
That would leave Unai Emery with just Layvin Kurzawa as his option for left-back for next season, as a result of which, a left-back is being targetted for a summer move. Ghoulam is one of the defenders who has been observed regularly in recent months, and could be the subject of a bid in the summer.
So, the race for Ghoulam is turning into a three-way battle, and with the Algerian international stalling on a new deal with Napoli, the clubs could have one less hurdle to deal with come June.