Arsenal will renew their efforts to sign French winger Robert Pires from Olympique Marseille if they sell Marc Overmars to Lazio.

Overmars, who will play for Holland in Euro 2000, has emerged as a £15million target for the Serie A champions.

In contrast, Arsenal could snap up Pires for around £6m - and the player is keen to come to Highbury.

As France complete their warm-up games for Euro 2000 with a clash against Morocco in Casablanca in the final of the King Hassan II tournament tonight, Pires made it clear he wants to play for Arsene Wenger.

The French star said: 'I have seen how playing in England has helped players like Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. I would love to join them at Arsenal. It would be a big benefit to me, I believe.'

The Italian club's interest in Overmars comes soon after the news that Juventus want Vieira.

Lazio vice-president Massimo Cragnotti is expected in London in the next three or four days in an attempt to thrash out a deal.

Overmars still has three years left on his contract at Highbury but, as was seen in the stubborn stance taken by Nicolas Anelka a year ago when he success-fully demanded to join Real Madrid, contracts guarantee only hefty financial compensation, not loyalty.

If he gives his representatives the go-ahead, a deal can be arranged without him having to leave the Dutch camp. And the indications are that if the deal is attractive enough, Overmars will leave.

He has been constantly linked with a move to Barcelona for much of the season but that evaporated when his compatriot Luis Van Gaal was sacked as manager.

But Lazio would also appeal to the ambitious Overmars who joined Arsenal three years ago from Ajax for £7.5m.

Peter Taylor has been confirmed as one of the front runners to replace Martin O'Neill as Leicester City manager.

Foxes chairman John Elsom is understood to have spoken to the Gillingham manager at the weekend. Former Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear is also in contention.