Arsenal are among the clubs pursuing Monza’s Gustavo Varela and have taken steps to sign him.
Prior to joining Monza, the Portuguese attacker spent his entire career in his country with Benfica, who sent him on loan to Gil Vicente last season.
In July, the Eagles sold him to Monza, who secured a promotion to Serie A. The striker has scored seven goals and contributed one assist from seven league matches and scored a brace in the Coppa Italia win over Avellino.
His impressive start in Italy has caught the attention of Arsenal and other clubs.
Arsenal keen on new striker
The Premier League winners have already set their sights on the 21-year-old. Earlier this month, Sport Witness covered a report from Italy explaining that the Gunners identified him as a new target.
Journalist Niccolò Ceccarini, writing in his column for TuttoMercatoWeb, covers the latest about Arsenal’s interest in Gustavo Varela.
Monza invested €2.5m to secure the Portugal U21 international’s services. His displays are attracting interest from Serie A and beyond, and Mikel Arteta’s side belong to the latter.
| Every Arsenal signing 26/27 | Nationality | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Guimarães | Brazil | Newcastle United | £75m |
| Ezri Konsa | England | Aston Villa | £51m |
| Christos Tzolis | Grecce | Club Brugge | £34m |
| Illan Meslier | France | Leeds United | Free |
| Piero Hincapié | Colombia | Bayer Leverkusen | £34.5m |
Napoli have to be wary of Arsenal
Niccolò Ceccarini focuses on Napoli’s interest in the frontman and warns them about the north London club.
“One player who has made it onto the radar is Monza’s Varela. A real bargain for the Brianza-based club, who acquired him from Benfica this summer for €2.5m. The numbers speak for themselves,” he said.
“Between the league and the Coppa Italia, he has already scored 9 goals in 8 competitive matches. A very good average that has immediately attracted the attention of many clubs.”
“There is no buyback, only the possibility for the Portuguese club to match any potential offer. Benfica have secured a 20% stake in the capital gains from a future resale.”
“Varela is a complete striker, and that’s why the Premier League has begun to make moves, especially Arsenal. In short, Napoli is considering him, even though they know it won’t be easy to convince Monza to open negotiations in the winter transfer window.”
Gustavo Varela has a contract until 2030, and Transfermarkt value him at €5m. The Serie A side will demand a higher figure, also considering Benfica retain a 20% sell-on clause.
Leaderbrock manage the Arsenal target, and their client list includes Napoli duo Alisson Santos and Rafa Marín. Whether this can give the Naples club an edge over the Gunners isn’t clear.
The Emirates club could consider making advances to sign Varela if Viktor Gyökeres were to move elsewhere either in January or next summer.
