Watford are believed to be preparing a £17m bid to sign Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina, a player Arsenal reportedly have in their sights this summer.

  • Lemina has been linked with Arsenal and Watford
  • The midfielder wants more playing time

Lemina has been a squad player at Juventus, making just eight Serie A starts last season, and looked destined to leave this summer given the interest.

Arsenal and Watford are two sides said to be keen on the 23-year-old, and latest reports suggest the latter have made a bid of around £17m – potentially making him their record signing.

The current holder, Watford’s Roberto Pereyra, was Lemina’s room-mate when the two were together at Juventus.

Arsenal are also interested and there has been talk of them preparing bids of a similar size. Lemina did say he was flattered to be linked with the Gunners this summer, so he’s likely to consider any approach coming his way from the Londoners.

But if Watford can guarantee him more playing time than Arsenal, the Hornets could well be considered a better career move.