Roberto Carlos has described reported Arsenal target Achraf Hakimi as one of the best right-backs of the modern era, comparing the Inter Milan star with Cafu on Pierluigi Pardo’s Twitch account.
Unfortunately for Nerazzurri supporters, Hakimi’s Inter career looks likely to be as short-lived and fleeting as Carlos’s was.
Arguably the greatest left-back of his generation spent just one season at the San Siro before becoming one of the original Galacticos at Real Madrid.
With a cash-strapped Inter Milan under pressure to raise funds and fast, Hakimi’s first season in Italy is also set to be his last.
The Moroccan’s agent has already admitted that a summer sale is pretty much an inevitability, with Mikel Arteta giving the green light to Arsenal’s attempts to bring in one of the fastest footballers in the whole of Europe (AS).
And you would imagine that Carlos would be sorry to see Hakimi go, comparing the one-time Borussia Dortmund loanee to his legendary former Brazil teammate.
“With Cafu and (Javier) Zanetti, (Hakimi is) one of the best right-backs I’ve seen” the 2002 World Cup winner said.
With a £250 million budget burning a hole in Arteta’s back pocket, even a price-tag in the region of £60 million is unlikely to put off an Arsenal side willing to spend big in an attempt to put a disastrous 2020/21 campaign behind them.
Will Achraf Hakimi choose Chelsea over Arsenal?
Premier League and London rivals Chelsea are in pole position as it stands, however.
Calciomercato reports that talks regarding a move to Stamford Bridge are underway with Simone Inzaghi, who recently replaced Antonio Conte in the Inter dugout, intrigued by the prospect of bringing in Marcos Alonso as part of a cash-plus-player swap deal.
Hakimi provided seven goals and 11 assists as Conte led Inter to their first Scudetto triumph since the Jose Mourinho heyday.
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