Arsenal will have to fight off interest from Chelsea and Manchester United if they want to sign Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer, according to reports.

Chelsea and United have been following the centre-back for a while, if you believe the gossip.

Way back in 2014 there were stories suggesting both clubs sent scouts to watch the then 23-year-old playing for his current club.

Over three years later, Koulibaly is 26 and approaching his peak years. Reports suggest he might finally move on this summer.

The Mirror write that interested clubs will make a move before the World Cup, and the long delay has allowed Arsenal to join the race.

We covered the rumours that Arsenal sent scouts to watch the defender last month. The media in Italy suggested that the player himself would be interested in a move, as he likes the club.

Manchester United could have an edge though. The ex-Genk chief scout, Roland Janssen, who discovered the player, now works for Jose Mourinho’s side.

There’s also the fact that United are the only team likely to have top-tier European football next year. Chelsea and Arsenal have both dropped out of the top four, meaning they’d need to win the Champions League and Europa League respectively to qualify for next year’s premium competition.

It looks like this one could go down to the wire.