Juventus ready to consider offers for top Man Utd, Arsenal defensive target

Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly preparing to lock horns over Turkey international Merih Demiral during the January transfer window.

Tuttosport suggests that Juventus will cash in on the 21-year-old centre-back, should a significant offer come in for the former Sassuolo star.

The Italian publication claims that both the Gunners and United have sent scouts to make personal checks on Demiral during Turkey’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Iceland and Andorra.

Juventus signed Demiral from Sassuolo for £15.5million last summer, but the player has only made one senior appearance under Maurizio Sarris so far.

He has found game-time hard to come by, with veteran Leonardo Bonucci and fellow summer signing Matthijs de Ligt the preferred defensive partnership for Juve, while Demiral is also behind Daniele Rugani in the pecking order.

Fellow Serie A side AC Milan are also said to be in the race to sign Demiral, should he choose to stay in Italy rather than move to the Premier League.

Arsenal are in desperate need for new defensive recruits after another campaign so far littered with errors at the back, while United are in the hunt for another centre-back given that Eric Bailly can leave on a free this summer.

Read more: Manchester United and Tottenham target Bruno Fernandes has given an update on his future plans ahead of the opening of the January transfer window.