After missing out on Julian Alvarez in the summer, Arsenal are still in the market for a striker.
The need for one is still clear. There was huge concern among the fanbase after Kai Havertz went off injured for Germany during the international break. Of course, Mikel Arteta still has Viktor Gyokeres at his disposal, but his performances in the early stages of this season haven’t been good enough, to be kind.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed last month that a striker is Arsenal’s primary transfer priority going into future windows, and now a number of names are being linked. One name that has emerged as a credible target is Pio Esposito.
The 21-year-old Inter Milan striker has caught the eye of clubs across Europe with his development over the past 18 months, and according to Italian journalist Marco Barzaghi, Arsenal have already made initial enquiries.
A graphic reading: "Which player will Arsenal most regret not signing?!" Image shows Morgan Rogers, Julian Alvarez, Vinicius Jr and Victor Osimhen.
Credit: Getty Images/Jacques Feeney/Offside/Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP/Diego Souto/Ahmad Mora
However, it seems Arsenal will have to stump up a huge fee if they are to seriously pursue Esposito — and they may have Manchester United to blame for that.
Inter are using Rasmus Hojlund’s pricetag to value Pio Esposito
Barzaghi provided some insight on Arsenal’s interest in Esposito speaking on his YouTube channel. “Arsenal’s initial enquiries — they had been told that €100million wouldn’t be enough even to get close to Esposito.
“But that was a hyperbolic statement, useful for discouraging the other party before even starting negotiations. Today, however, the €100million figure is considered realistic.”
And here is where Manchester United’s transfer history becomes Arsenal’s problem. “They’re looking at Hojlund, who cost Manchester United €84million when they signed him from Atalanta; Sesko, 22, who cost €80 million from Leipzig last year; and the Swede Gyokeres, who cost only €63million because he was already 27.
“So, essentially, Esposito is already considered a €100million player, with the possibility of continuing to grow in value given his age and potential.”
United signed Hojlund for over £70million in 2023 but have since sold him for just over half of that (£43million) after he struggled to deliver at Old Trafford. That initial fee United paid has effectively set a market benchmark that Inter are now using to justify a nine-figure asking price for their own young striker.
To be fair, Esposito looks exactly like the profile of striker Arteta would certainly want. A technically gifted, mobile striker capable of functioning in a possession-based system is clearly a better fit for Arsenal than Gyokeres. And at 21, he has the age and the potential to grow into the role over several seasons.
Whether £85million-plus is realistic in January is another question entirely. Arsenal prefer to do their major business in the summer and January is rarely the window for such huge deals. It appears the interest is genuine, though, and the Hojlund benchmark will no doubt be a source of frustration for Andrea Berta.