Arsenal lead race for £73m striker
· Yahoo Sports
Pio Esposito remains firmly on Arsenal’s radar, but Inter Milan’s stance means any move is likely to be anything but straightforward.
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Arsenal are reportedly leading the race for Francesco Pio Esposito, but completing a deal for the Inter Milan striker remains a daunting prospect despite fresh claims linking him with a move to north London.
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Reports suggest Arsenal have stepped up their interest after missing out on Vinicius Junior, who is set to remain at Real Madrid, with Mikel Arteta keen to add another physical attacking option alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz.
Gabriel Jesus is also expected to leave, increasing the need for further competition in attack.
The latest reports claim Arsenal scouts watched the 21-year-old impress during Inter’s pre-season meeting with AC Milan in Australia, with those performances said to have strengthened the club’s interest.
Manchester United have also been credited with monitoring the Italy international.
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Arsenal’s admiration for Esposito is not new. The striker has been linked with the Gunners since early 2026, but the strongest indications have consistently been that the club are monitoring his progress rather than closing in on a transfer.
That position was reinforced earlier this year when reports in Italy claimed Andrea Berta had contacted Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio to discuss the striker’s availability after Arsenal were impressed by Esposito during a meeting between the clubs.
Inter’s response was unequivocal.
Chief executive Giuseppe Marotta rejected suggestions Arsenal had made an approach and made it clear the Serie A club have no intention of selling one of their brightest young talents.
Marotta said: “Arsenal haven’t asked us about him. Inter do not want to sell him and we are not a club that makes player trading its main business.
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“He’s a product that grew up in the youth academy, and we’re guarding him like a treasure.
“We’ll talk about his transfer again in the future, but it’ll be a very distant future.”
Esposito’s agent, Mario Giuffredi, has also stressed the striker is happy at Inter and sees his future with the club.
The figures attached to any potential transfer also continue to vary significantly.
Earlier reports suggested Inter would only contemplate offers exceeding €100 million (£85.6m), while more recent claims have mentioned a fee of around £73 million.
What has remained consistent is Inter’s determination to keep hold of a player they have under contract until 2030.
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