Arsenal receive shocking striker news: Arteta and Berta forced into transfer U-turn

Arsenal have been told that if they are serious about signing Pio Esposito from Inter Milan, they will have to pay more than €100 million for the player.

FootballTransfers exclusively broke the news about the Gunners’ interest in the 20-year-old Italy international striker, who has caught the eye in what has been a breakthrough campaign with the San Siro club.

Esposito has scored seven goals and laid on six more across all competitions, prompting Arsenal to take a serious look at the talent.

Pio Esposito: Closely monitored by Arsenal

Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta has been keeping close tabs on Esposito and has been receiving regular detailed feedback from the club’s Italy-based scouts.

The youngster is seen as a backup option initially but someone who could grow into a potential starter.

He is built like a pure No.9, and has demonstrated his abilities both in front of goal and in terms of linking play during his first-team outings with Inter.

Inter shutdown a deal

The San Siro club, though, are reticent to sell and have effectively locked the player down for the summer by placing an asking price of more than €100 million on his head, L’Interista reports.

Although Inter were shocked by their Champions League exit at the hands of Bodo/Glimt, their plan remains to build a considerably younger team – and Esposito is at the heart of this plan.

A sale has been totally discounted.

Italy great Buffon praises Esposito

Esposito has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27.4 million, meaning Arsenal would have to pay well above his value to even get Inter to look at an offer.

Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon has explained why the Nerazzurri rate their young talent so highly.

“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.”

Arsenal will doubtless keep monitoring the situation, but the prospect of a summer move for Esposito looks an increasingly distant one, even if he is clearly a player the Gunners hold a strong admiration for.

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