The agent of Nottingham Forest-linked Walid Cheddira says “many clubs” are eyeing up the forward ahead of January.
The 24-year-old has been in sparkling form for Bari in Serie B. And he is part of the Morocco squad which is in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
Reports in Italy have suggested the Reds are keen on bringing him to the Premier League as they plot reinforcements in the January window. Tottenham Hotspur and Watford have also been credited with an interest, as have Lazio and Napoli.
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In a translated interview, Cheddira’s agent, Bruno di Napoli, told 1 Station Radio (via LazioNews24): “The boy is owned by Bari. He is being watched by many clubs because of his characteristics as a modern striker. We will evaluate his next step with the club and president De Laurentiis, one step at a time certain objectives are achieved.”
Pointing to the interest from Lazio and Napoli, in particular, he added: “Today he is a player for Bari. I hope he can reach the (World Cup) final with Morocco.
“They associate the boy with Napoli because of the same ownership of the two clubs, but together with Bari we will evaluate the appropriate path for Walid. We are living in a beautiful situation, but it is constantly evolving.
“To date, Napoli are a top club, they are fighting for the Scudetto, we will evaluate the right path. Lazio are also looking for a back-up to Immobile, and it is natural to approach Cheddira. The fundamental thing for us is to stay focused on the World Cup and Bari, we don't need to make flights of fancy.”
Cheddira has bagged 14 goals and weighed in with five assists in 15 appearances in all competitions for Bari this season. He came off the bench in Qatar against Spain and Portugal, but was sent off right at the end of his country’s 1-0 win over the latter. It means he will have to watch on as Morocco take on France on Wednesday night in a bid to reach the World Cup final.
He is said to have a £7 million price tag on his head, just a few months after moving to Bari for a reported £130,000 from Parma. Last week, reports in Italy suggested his club have “no intention” of letting him go next month.
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