Marc Overmars is at the centre of a £15 million transfer tussle between Italian champions Lazio and their bitter local rivals AS Roma.

Arsenal's Dutch winger has been in scintillating form for his country during Euro 2000 and, on Sunday, scored twice in the 6-1 quarter-final thrashing of Yugoslavia.

Significantly, Overmars - who joined Arsenal from Ajax in July 1997 for £7m - has yet to publicly commit himself to the London club for next season to further fuel speculation that he will be leaving when the European finals are over.

Lazio have already made their interest in Overmars known and now Roma have joined the chase.

Arsenal will be reluctant sellers and, if Overmars makes it clear he wants to leave Highbury after three seasons, then they will ask for a significant fee.

But Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has already lined up a replacement in Olympique Marseille midfielder Robert Pires.

Pires is a key member of the France squad in Euro 2000 and is certain to leave Marseille this summer.

He has admitted that he has spoken to Wenger about a £6m move to Arsenal and that would seem his likely destination now that Real Madrid have pulled out of their bid to sign him.

Meanwhile, Overmars's Arsenal team-mate Emmanuel Petit is fit again and available for France's semi-final against Portugal.

He is in contention for the match in Brussels tomorrow after recovering from a knee injury that has kept him out of the past two matches.

Now French manager Roger Lemerre must decide whether to recall Petit and leave out his Arsenal teammate Patrick Vieira.

Chelsea's Didier Deschamps will become the first French player to win 100 caps.