Arsenal fans are growing increasingly excited by the prospect of signing Sassuolo’s Gianluca Scamacca this summer.
The forward has attracted plenty of attention from a host of big clubs in recent months on the back of a strong campaign in Serie A last season, and Sassuolo chief Giovanni Carneval has since confirmed that talks over his future have been held amid interest from the Gunners.
It’s been well documented Arsenal are in the market for at least one new forward this summer following the recent departure of both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. Scamacca is now one of the forwards on their shortlist to replace them, and it’s easy to see why.
Although now 23, the forward has taken some time to establish himself at the highest level, which may explain why he’s drifted under the radar in comparison to other forwards Arsenal have been linked with.
However, across the last two campaigns, he’s really come to the forefront. In the 2020/21 season, his first in Italy’s top tier, he scored 12 goals and secured a further two assists whilst out on loan at Genoa. He’s kicked on again this season back at parent club Sassuolo, netting 16 times across all competitions.
His xG across both campaigns equated to a combined 20.5, therefore his goal return of 28 highlights him as an efficient goalscorer.
Beyond scoring goals, he stands at an imposing 6ft5, making him an ever-present aerial threat and perfect target man. He’s also a willing runner into channels, a threat playing on the shoulder of a defence and has great awareness when combining with teammates around him.
An example of the same is below taken from Sassuolo’s clash with Atalanta in April. Scamacca drops short and away from the defender marking him, he then applies a superb flicked pass in behind the defence for his attacking teammate to run onto.
A further positive is that at Sassuolo, Scamacca has predominantly led the line in a 4-2-3-1 system, similar to the one Mikel Arteta deploys at Arsenal. This should in effect mean he’s in a position to adjust to life at the Emirates easier.
Landing the forward won’t be an easy task for Arsenal, with Sassuolo’s chief Carneval stating it was the club’s “desire is to keep most players in the team” before name-dropping Scamacca. Yet concrete interest from Arsenal would be tough for both them and the player to ignore.
Most recent reports suggest £45m could be enough to land the striker. Although that’s no small fee, at just 23 he could be seen as a long-term investment that has the potential to significantly improve Arsenal’s attack next season.
