Arsenal have their sights set on one of Italian football's hottest young prospects as the January transfer window rolls around.
The Gunners are in a wonderful position as they sit top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League league phase as we near the midway point of the season. As a result, Mikel Arteta's side are in a great position to enjoy a wonderful campaign.
While short-term success is clearly the priority, the North Londoners are keen to build their squad to dominate in the years to come and that has led them to the door of a truly exciting prospect.
Arsenal Eye 'Next Paolo Maldini'
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Arsenal are monitoring Davide Bartesaghi, according to Sky Sports. A player compared to Italian football legend Paolo Maldini, the AC Milan starlet has attracted plenty of attention for his performances.
An attack-minded left back by trade, the 19-year-old is a product of the Milan youth academy and has since made 28 appearances for the first team.
Bartesaghi even scored a brace in their last Serie A match against Sassuolo with Massimiliano Allegri's side trailing rivals Inter by just one point at the top of the Italian top flight.
Arsenal have also been running the rule over Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jean-Matteo Bahoya.
Mikel Arteta Building For The Future
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While present-day success is clearly a huge priority, Arsenal appear determined to ensure that any triumphs enjoyed are not short-lived. Football is cyclical in nature and while the Gunners have a strong side at the moment, history suggests that any club is never more than a season or so away from a drastic decline.
Also linked with Marco Palestra, Arsenal are clearly looking to target young, talented players who are shining right now, but also able to flourish and develop into a world-class superstar in the future.
The Gunners moved quickly to sign stars such as William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli at a young age, while also developing Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly into elite superstars as well.
With this long-term focus, it's easy to see why fans are so optimistic about the future direction of the club.
In Bartesaghi, AC Milan have a player who is already competing at the highest level in Italy and is expected to be in the mix to feature for Italy at next summer's World Cup. If he keeps developing at his current rate, he could prove to be a real find for Arsenal.
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