Roma close in on Arsenal transfer target

Italian giants Roma are stepping up their attempts to sign Arsenal defender William Gallas.

Roma sporting director Daniele Prade flew into London to watch Arsenal's Champions League victory over Porto and also try to thrash out a deal with French defender Gallas.

Gallas, 32, currently out with a calf injury, is out of contract at the end of the season and Arsenal have a strict policy on not offering their 30-something players more than a one-year contract extension.

That has alerted Roma boss Claudio Ranieri and last week the ex-Chelsea boss admitted Gallas was a “top class player and top class players are always welcome at Roma.”

Gallas is a free agent in the summer and is now allowed to talk to foreign clubs and sign a pre-contract agreement.

Prade is believed to have sounded out Gallas and his representatives about a possible switch to Serie A as Roma would be prepared to offer the French defender a two-year contract.

Arsenal are believed to be willing to bend their rules for Gallas and offer him a one year contract with a one year extension option and also offer him a two year deal if he drops his current £80,000-a-week salary demands.

It leaves Arsenal facing a battle to keep Gallas, which is made even more worrying as Mikael Silvestre and Philippe Senderos - currently on loan at Everton - are free agents and set to leave this summer.

Sol Campbell, 35, is only on a short-term deal and could leave the Emirates in the summer, which would leave Arsene Wenger short of defensive options.

Prade has confirmed he was in London and was at the Arsenal game but the Italian papers say that he was also watching Porto strikers Falcao and Hulk.