Arsenal receive official Pio Esposito message ahead of transfer offer

Inter Milan have released a strong transfer statement over the future of wonderkid striker Pio Esposito, who has been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks.

FootballTransfers exclusively broke the news of the Gunners’ interest in the Italy international forward in February, and since there has been confirmation of the Premier League leaders’ interest in the striker.

Inter have hit back, saying that Esposito is not for sale and playing down the chances of a transfer this summer.

Inter’s Esposito transfer statement

“Arsenal did not ask for Pio Esposito despite reports,” Inter CEO Beppe Marotta told Sport Mediaset.

“Inter are not a selling club, we don’t make player trading our main activity. Pio Esposito is a product of our youth academy and we treasure him

“Of course, anything can happen in future, but that would only be very far into the future.”

Arsenal’s ongoing interest

What Marotta has said may well be technically accurate and backs FootballTransfers’ understanding of the situation.

Sources have indicated that Arsenal’s transfer interest is for the summer, when they are planning to make a bid for Esposito. There was no indication that they had previously tried to sign him in January.

Nevertheless, Inter’s message is clear: it will take something remarkable for Esposito to leave San Siro in the summer.

Arsenal are likely to pursue this move in the summer, even if it’s only in the form of an enquiry that is knocked back by the Serie A outfit. Sporting director Andrea Berta is known to be keeping close tabs on the situation as he has asked for detailed feedback on Esposito’s performances.

He is seen as a backup player in the squad initially, but with an eye on making him a starter in the long term.

Why do Arsenal want Pio Esposito?

Esposito is a player who operates in the mould of a poacher and target man – the type of centre-forward that has come back into fashion in recent years.

He is not, however, fast and nor is he yet a particularly potent finisher, yet these are attributes that Arsenal will feel can be polished as he grows older.

Certainly, the Gunners look a good fit for his development, with SciSports giving the North London outfit a Club Fit score of 72 based on several key factors, including potential development, time, formation and playing style. Any score over 70 is strong, with 80 or above exceptional.

Indeed, legendary Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon recently warned against underestimating Esposito, whose growth mindset has the capacity to set him apart from his peers.

“He will be a step above anything you think he can be because I was lucky enough to be with him and to see him move on and off the pitch, and in the locker room,” Buffon, who is the Italy national team’s head of delegation, told DAZN.

“He’s a professional, he has humility, a determination, a desire to learn, and an enthusiasm for being part of the team that I’ve seen in very few.”

Esposito sits behind compatriots Jeff Ekhator and Francesco Camarda as the third most promising Italian forwards aged 20 or under, according to FootballTransfers’ data.

What next for Esposito?

Esposito’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €27.4 million, but Inter’s stance is such that it will take a bid far greater than this to trigger a deal.

As things stand, Arsenal have little chance of signing Esposito unless they are willing to make an outsized offer for him.