Gustavo Varela has been one of the stories of the season in Serie A and is now attracting interest from Arsenal.
Monza signed the striker from Benfica in the summer, shelling out just €2m for his signature. The deal has proved to be excellent, as he has found the net six times in Serie A, also scoring twice in the Coppa Italia.
He is amongst the top three goal scorers in Serie A this season, with former Southampton manager Ivan Juric bringing the most out of him.
Now, attention around Varela is growing and Arsenal are in the picture.
Suitors lining up
Today’s print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport looks at how many clubs are lining up for the Portuguese attacker, who spent last season on loan away from Benfica.
In Serie A, Napoli specifically are leading the race for Varela. They aren’t happy with Lorenzo Lucca’s contributions after his loan at Nottingham Forest. They had to settle for him because of their failure to sign another player, but Varela could be the one.
The newspaper note that Arsenal ‘have their eye’ on Varela and there is a chance even Benfica try to bring him back.
Gianluca Di Marzio adds more, noting that major offers could be on the way for the striker, with Benfica having the right to match any offers other clubs make for him.
This could be an advantage for the Portuguese side but everything will come down to the player’s valuation.
Our take: Gunners should wait
Monza will be guaranteed a major capital gain from Varela’s exit, which suggests they’d be desperate to sell him when his value his high. And while the 21-year-old has impressed, Arsenal need to be wary of whether this is a case of short-term over-performance.
That is why they should continue to monitor his situation for the next few months. If Varela’s performances keep improving and he stays consistent, he could be worth an investment.
