What's the story?
News coming in from The Sun and a few other sources have suggested that Arsenal have made Napoli’s striker Lorenzo Insigne their number one transfer target in the summer. The Gunners sent scouts to watch the Italian forward in action for Napoli against Chievo in the Serie A on Sunday. Insigne scored one goal in his side’s 3-1 win in that game and the Arsenal scouts were reportedly impressed by his performance.
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The 25-year-old Italian striker has performed admirably for Napoli this season scoring nine goals and registering six assists in all competitions for his side. He also recently scored the opener against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League, where he struck the ball first-time from 30 yards out, curling it past Keylor Navas.
Also read: 5 left-wingers Arsenal could sign to replace disgruntled Alexis Sanchez
Insigne can play as a striker or as a number 10 and is a handy player with good technique. His performances for Napoli this season have guided the club to 3rd in the Serie A league table.
The heart of the matter
Arsenal have opened talks with Napoli over the signing of Insigne according to numerous sources. The North London club currently need a striker who can hit 20 goals a season on a consistent basis and Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott have failed to do that.
If not for Alexis Sanchez’s performances and goals this season, Arsenal would have been considerably short on firepower up front. Insigne fits the bill nicely, and after impressing the Gunners’ scouts, he will be looking forward to a move to England if a concrete offer is made.
What’s next?
Insigne’s contract with Napoli runs until 2019 and he could be an expensive signing for the Gunners. The Naples club’s owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has slapped an astonishing fee of £44 million on the player and it could deter the London club from signing him.
His performances this season have also attracted interest from Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham, making it a three-way battle for his signature.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Napoli are experts at doing business when it comes to transfers, specifically their owner, de Laurentiis. Insigne is a talented player without a doubt, however, a £44 million price tag is a bit on the high side even though the player has scored 38 goals in 198 games for the Naples club.
To put that into context, Sanchez has scored 62 goals in 128 games for Arsenal so far in his time at the Emirates. If the Gunners are to break the bank and spend upwards of £40 million on a striker, they must sign one who can score 20 or more goals a season.
Despite Insigne’s impressive performances, he hasn’t hit that tally ever in his career. However, he is a definite upgrade on Arsenal’s current strikers.
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