Roma have been the surprise package in Serie A this season, with Rudi Garcia guiding them to second place in the league. Garcia enjoyed a terrific start to his reign as manager in the capital, winning his first ten games in a row and thus setting a new Serie A record. One of the former Lille managers first signings was Mehdi Benatia, paying Udinese over £10million for the Moroccan international. It has proved an astute and smart piece of business, with Benatia thriving for Roma and consequently increasing his value. Anyone looking to bring him in this summer would be looking at a valuation of around £20million. Although he has four years to run on his deal with Roma, Benatia maybe tempted to depart Serie A. His agent recently admitted his client is happy in Rome, but that they are aware of lurking clubs. It's either a clever ploy for a pay rise or Benatia is serious considering a move away. If Arsenal were to make a move for the Roma centre back, they would be getting a player in the prime of his career. At 27, Benatia is the ideal age for a centre back and he would certainly bolster the Gunners defence. He is also over 6ft 3in tall, making him useful in the air from defensive and offensive set pieces.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
