Arsenal have identified Gianluca Scamacca as an alternative target to Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus this summer, Corriere dello Sport (today’s edition, page 23) claims.
The Gunners are expected to pursue a new striker during the upcoming transfer window, and it has been frequently mentioned that Jesus is the prime target for the north London club.
Talks are already underway with his representative, but a deal won’t be straightforward with a £50 million price tag while there are several other European clubs also interested in the Brazilian.
Amidst this, Corriere dello Sport report that the Gunners have Scamacca as an alternative target. The Italy international could be available for a fee between £34-39 million this summer.
Our view:
Arsenal have made it a priority to persuade Jesus over a summer transfer, and it has recently emerged that they are prepared to make him their second highest-earner at around £190,000-a-week.
The prospect of staying in the Premier League could urge Jesus to join the Gunners, but he could still look elsewhere, given the club can’t offer him Champions League football next season.
With this in mind, the Gunners are also keeping tabs on alternative options. Scamacca netted 16 goals in the Italian top-flight last term. Just one of those came from the penalty box.
His shooting range and close ball control will have caught the eye of the Gunners, but the big question is whether they can convince him to pursue a fresh challenge outside of Serie A.
It was recently reported that the Gunners made an opening transfer offer for Scamacca, but they were immediately snubbed by the player, who prefers to remain in Serie A next season.
It could be another repeat of the Dusan Vlahovic or Manuel Locatelli saga this summer. The Gunners should look at other options if the striker has no desire to move abroad in the near future.
