Arsenal and Real Betis lead the race to sign free agent Malang Sarr
|Arsenal and Real Betis are leading the race to sign Malang Sarr for free, according to Spanish media outlet Informa Futbol.
The central defender is a graduate of the Nice academy. He has made 119 appearances for the French side. This season, he made 19 appearances in all competitions. The 21 year old has learned his trade under Nice head coach and former Arsenal captain, Patrick Vieira.
The Frenchman is a free agent and is attracting a lot of interest from clubs across Europe. Arsenal, Valencia, Torino and Real Betis are believed to be keen on signing the player. The Gunners and Betis are the frontrunners for the player’s signature. Valencia are going through a rebuild after a poor season and Torino have spent much of the current campaign close to the bottom of the Serie A.
Manuel Pellegrini has recently taken over at Betis and is keen on signing Sarr. Nabil Fekir is said to have recommended him to the club. Betis have a woeful defensive record and are looking to shore up their defence. They face stern competition from Arsenal who are also looking to add quality to a defence that is a work in progress.
The Gunners see value in signing one of Europe’s most promising young central defenders for free. The player is said to be attracted to the idea of playing for Arsenal. He has represented France at the Under 23 level and will be looking to make the step up to the senior team.
It is likely that the North London club will wait to see if they have European football next season before making any decisions regarding this signing. They play Chelsea in the FA Cup Final on Saturday and if they win, they will qualify for next season’s Europa League.