Roma snub Bayern bid for defender

benatia

Roma have reportedly turned down a £26million bid from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for coveted defender Mehdi Benatia.

According to Il Messaggaro, the Serie A outfit have not given up hope of keeping the 27-year-old for at least another season, despite strong interest from the Bavarian giants and Premier League champions Manchester City.

A source close to the Blues told Football Express News they continue to monitor the situation with interest, but are yet to meet Roma’s valuation of the player, which is believed to exceed £40m.

The Il Messaggaro report claims Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini is striving to retain the services of Benatia but has also drawn up a list of targets in the event that the ex-Udinese man departs during the summer transfer window.

A move for towering Porto centre-half Eliaquim Mangala is believed to be a possibility as the 23-year-old is yet to commit his future to the Portugese club.

The highly-rated France international has been heavily linked with a Premier League switch, with sources close to Manchester United and rivals City confirming he is a priority target.

However, Mangala could wait until the end of France’s World Cup campaign before making a decision on his future.