Arsenal and Newcastle are set to battle it out this summer as the two Premier League sides eye a move for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa, per recent reports. The 25-year-old has just two years remaining on his contract with the Old Lady and given their lack of Champions League football, they could be forced to make some sales.
Chiesa is a curious case of talent hampered by injury as the winger showed many impressive performances in his two-year spell from Fiorentina. The Italian international was a particular thorn in the side of England at the European Championships in 2020, where his display helped the Azzurri win the tournament in the final.
However, a devastating knee injury in January 2022 saw him out of action for half of the rest of the 2021/22 campaign and a good chunk at the start of 2022/23. A mix of issues since meant he must 75 days for the club following his recovery, resulting in a campaign with very few starts, two Serie A goals and five assists.
Chiesa was recently questioned over his future, being coy when telling DAZN: "I have a training camp with the Italian national team and then we’ll play the Nations League Final Four, then we’ll see. Now I’m at Juventus and I’m thinking about the club."
Clubs have naturally circled the 25-year-old as doubts hang over his future, with a report from La Repubblica claiming that both Arsenal and Newcastle are in the race to sign him. The Gunners are looking to add yet more quality in depth for a title push next season, also compensating for the return of Champions League football.
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The Magpies find themselves in a position where a lack of depth and overall quality in the side could be costly next season after they earned a top-four spot. If they are to consistently challenge in the league and Europe, then they will have to find a number of new acquisitions.
The good news for both is that the Bianconeri appear to have found a replacement for Chiesa as the report also states that former Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo is of interest. The Galatasaray forward is available with a release clause that's worth £30million this summer.
It remains to be seen how much that will impact the future of Chiesa in the coming weeks as clubs start to line up to land his signature.
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