Arsenal have a ‘genuine interest’ in signing Inter Milan centre-forward Pio Esposito, according to Nicolo Schira.
The 20-year-old joined Inter from the Brescia academy and played for all the youth teams before making his first-team debut on 21 June as a substitute, replacing his brother Sebastiano Esposito in a 2–1 victory against Urawa Red Diamonds in last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, and remarkably scored on his first start against River Plate.
Last season, he was in blistering form while on loan at Spezia, netting 20 goals across all competitions and 17 in Serie B, the third-highest in the Italian second division and the youngest in the top 25 scorers in the league.
In the ongoing campaign, the Italian has netted six goals and provided six assists, earning him his first senior national team call-up in September. He has since scored three goals in just five games for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.
With such prolific form for club and country this campaign, it’s no surprise that interest from several clubs are beginning to grow ahead.
One of the clubs keeping tabs on Esposito is Arsenal, according to Nicolo Schira, who claims that the Gunners have a ‘genuine interest’ in the 6ft 3in centre-forward ahead of a possible summer move.
‘Genuine interest’
The Italian journalist adds that a scout from the North London club was at San Siro on Saturday for Inter’s 3-2 win over Juventus to watch the Italian international, who netted the Nerazzurri’s second.
However, the Italian giants consider him a key player and are planning to extend his contract beyond 2031 amid interest from Arsenal, Schira adds.
Despite having three recognised centre-forward options, Mikel Arteta appears keen to add more cutting edge in the final third. Kai Havertz has struggled with recurring fitness problems over the past 18 months, while Gabriel Jesus faces an uncertain long-term future at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Viktor Gyökeres has experienced a topsy-turvy spell since arriving from Sporting last summer. As a result, the current Premier League leaders could justify bringing in another centre-forward, with Esposito, valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, now eyed.
However, signing a new striker will require at least one departure, and it’ll be interesting to see which player leaves should the Gunners pursue a move for the Italian in the summer.
