Arsenal and Chelsea are in talks with the agent of Cagliari star Nahitan Nandez over a possible move for the £32m-rated South American midfielder, according to reports via the Express.
Nandez only joined Cagliari from Boca Juniors last summer but has settled into life in Italy well and has established himself as an important first team player having made 37 appearances this season.
The 24-year-old holding midfielder has scored 2 goals and provided a further 4 assists to help Cagliari secure their Serie A status for another year and his impressive form has led to interest from the Premier League.
The Express are citing a report from Corriere dello Sport that claims Arsenal and Chelsea are in talks with Nandez’s agent to discuss a potential move while West Ham have also expressed their interest in the midfielder.
Cagliari are keen to keep hold of the Uruguayan international and are under no pressure to sell on the cheap as his contract runs until 2024 but a big offer from one of the London giants could persuade them to cash-in.
The Express suggests Nandez has a £32.6m (€36m) release clause in his contract so you’d expect Arsenal and Chelsea would have to be prepared to pay close to that figure to tempt Cagliari into a deal this summer.
Arsenal are expected to be in the market for a new midfielder over the coming weeks as Matteo Guendouzi is set to leave after being frozen out by Mikel Arteta while Dani Ceballos is due to return to Real Madrid when his loan deal expires next week.
Lucas Torreira is also being linked with a move back to Italy after enduring a difficult season in north London so his compatriot, Nandez, could be viewed as a potential replacement by the Gunners.
However, Arsenal will be working from a tight budget this summer so they may struggle to compete with Chelsea for the South American’s signature if Frank Lampard decides to pursue a deal for Nandez.
Jorginho is expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer so the Blues boss will be in the market for a deep lying midfielder and Nandez could fit the bill – although Chelsea are also being linked with West Ham star Declan Rice.
We’ll have to wait and see how things develop as right now the clubs are just holding initial talks with the players agent but it seems Nandez could have options in London if he wants to try his luck in the Premier League.
