According to Corriere dello Sport, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur both want to sign Roma talent Ebrima Darboe.
It’s claimed that both North London clubs are watching Darboe closely, but sporting director Tiago Pinto intends to reject any approaches.
The 19-year-old is expected to be an important part of Jose Mourinho’s squad, and he certainly won’t want to lose Darboe to either Arsenal or Spurs.
Who is Ebrima Darboe?
Darboe has a truly remarkable backstory. He was born in Gambia but left alone at 14 in search of a better life, first heading to Libya before ending up in Italy after a six-month journey.
Roma snapped him up in 2017 after spotting him playing with amateur Italian side Young Rieti, and his meteoric rise really started earlier this month.
The midfielder made his professional debut, then played against Manchester United in the Europa League. He even played agains bitter rivals Lazio last week, becoming the first player born in the 2000’s to ever play in the Rome derby.
Darboe’s ability to break up play, appreciate where space is and carry the ball forward has been noticeable, and he looks destined for a huge future.
What has been said about him?
Arsenal and Spurs fans may not know all too much about Darboe, but Roma’s outgoing boss Paulo Fonseca recently suggested that he is a ‘rare’ find thanks to his confidence and composure on the ball.
Fonseca has been linked with both Arsenal and Spurs, which could be something to keep an eye on if Darboe remains on the radars of the two clubs moving forward.
We’d also like to throw a shoutout to Giallorossi Yorkshire here, as they noted that ‘the sky is the limit’ for Darboe after his performance against Lazio.
It will be unsurprisingly difficult for Arsenal or Spurs to land Darboe, but they are absolutely right to be pursuing him after showing great promise.
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