Wednesday, 12th October, 2011
Manchester United could rival Arsenal for Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo in the January transfer window.
The Italian international sees his contract with La Viola expire at the end of the current campaign and has resisted putting pen to paper on an extension, sparking a scramble for his services.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a confirmed admirer of Montolivo and is all but certain to bid for the 26-year-old when the winter window opens, confident that a bargain can be had, with Fiorentina desperate to realise some value from the player they signed from Atalanta in 2005.
But interest in Montolivo is also emanating from Old Trafford, where Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has taken note of the Italian’s availability.
Ferguson has long felt that the Red Devils could accommodate a deep-lying playmaker in the mould of the Fiorentina star; and Montolivo’s comfort at also operating as a defensive shield is attractive too.
Scouts from United, as well as Arsenal, are thought to have been in attendance for the Euro 2012 qualifier between Italy and Northern Ireland, a game in which Montolivo featured.
The midfielder made his Azzurri debut in 2007 and is also certain to attract attention from Serie A’s finest when the time comes to exit La Viola.
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