Napoli centre-back Amir Rrahmani has revealed he is a supporter of Arsenal. The Kosovan international only moved to the Partenopei from Verona in January, and he is currently on loan at his former club until the end of the season.

However, when asked which player he idolised as a child, the 25-year-old made a surprising choice. Saying he followed the Gunners because of Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen:

“I am an Arsenal fan, Thomas Vermaelen was my favourite. He was a special player: I thought he could do something more, but he had a lot of bad luck. After moving to Barcelona he stopped a bit, but I always liked him. He had leadership skills that not everyone has. ”

Rrahmani has been part of a Verona defence which has conceded just 26 goals in 25 league games this season; the fourth-best defence in Serie A.

The Kosovan has struck up a formidable partnership with Albanian centre-half Marash Kumbulla, who has also been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months.

Considering Rrahmani only moved to Napoli recently, a switch to the Emirates in the near future is remote, but he will certainly be a player who will be on the club’s radar if he becomes available.