Arsenal now favourites to sign £73m forward after scouts give Arteta glowing reports
Arsenal may be champions, but Mikel Arteta is not allowing success to soften his edge.
The Gunners finally ended their long wait for the Premier League title last season. Their reward has been another ambitious summer, with the squad being strengthened for a fresh fight at home and in Europe.
Viktor Gyökeres remains the main man up front.
The Sweden international scored 21 times across all competitions during his first season in north London, including 14 Premier League goals. Arteta has also made it clear that the striker will not be leaving despite recent speculation.
Kai Havertz provides another option through the middle, but Gabriel Jesus appears increasingly likely to move on.
That would open a space for a younger forward who can develop into a future star, and Inter Milan’s Pio Esposito could be a fantastic candidate in that regard.
The 21-year-old stands 6ft 3in and plays with the power expected from a much older centre-forward. He can protect the ball, attack crosses and occupy defenders, but he is also willing to press and bring others into play.
Esposito came through Inter’s academy before spending two seasons on loan at Spezia. His first year in Serie B produced only three league goals, but patience was rewarded when he struck 17 in 35 league appearances during the following campaign.
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Pio Esposito’s career highlights so far |
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|---|---|---|
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Match |
Competition |
Key moment |
|
Urawa Red Diamonds 1-2 Inter |
Club World Cup |
Made his senior Inter debut, replacing his brother Sebastiano |
|
Inter 2-0 River Plate |
Club World Cup |
Scored his first senior Inter goal and became the club’s youngest scorer in an international competition since 2013. |
|
Cagliari 0-2 Inter |
Serie A |
Came off the bench and scored his first Serie A goal. |
|
Union SG 0-4 Inter |
Champions League |
Registered his first Champions League goal |
|
Inter 5-1 Venezia |
Coppa Italia |
Scored his first Inter goal at San Siro and became the first Inter player to score in four competitions in 2025. |
|
Inter 3-2 Juventus |
Serie A |
Powered in a header and became Inter’s second-youngest Italian scorer against Juventus in 60 years. |
That improvement earned him a place in Inter’s Club World Cup squad last summer.
He made his senior debut against Urawa Red Diamonds before scoring in a 2-0 victory over River Plate. Esposito then carried that momentum into 25/26, delivering 10 goals and six assists in 48 competitive outings as Inter won Serie A and the Coppa Italia.
There were memorable moments along the way.
His first Serie A goal arrived at Cagliari, while he also scored in the Champions League against Union Saint-Gilloise. A thumping header against Juventus offered another glimpse of his nerve on the biggest stage.
Now, Arsenal are reportedly stepping up their interest.
Arsenal leading race to sign Inter Milan sensation Pio Esposito
The Sun claims Arsenal and Man United sent scouts to watch Esposito in Inter’s pre-season derby against AC Milan in Perth.
The striker is said to have impressed both clubs, with Arteta and Michael Carrick specifically getting ‘glowing’ reports from those scouts, although Arsenal are currently described as leading the chase.
Arteta’s staff have reportedly followed him for months and see his physical style as a strong match for English football. United remain interested, but are not believed to be preparing an immediate move.
The major obstacle is Inter’s position.
They publicly regard their academy graduate as untouchable, while the report says intermediaries have been given a £73 million valuation which could get Inter talking.
Esposito is under contract until 2030 and is not pushing to leave, even if the prospect of Premier League football appeals.
That leaves Arsenal with a big decision.
Esposito has enormous promise, but £73 million would be superstar money for a striker with one full Serie A season behind him.
Arsenal can afford to think long term. At that price, however, potential alone cannot settle the argument.
