The Arsenal striker department is the focus of much hype during this summer transfer window. Understandable considering how much of an overhaul the position has undergone in just the past six months.
Although it looks as though Arsenal will retain at least one of the forwards in Eddie Nketiah, the reveal of the 22-year-old’s competitors remains uncertain until the deals are done. Gabriel Jesus is the obvious name and football.london understands he is at the top of the list.
However, this has not prevented information from Italy suggesting that the Gunners are making a move for Sassuolo forward Gianluca Scamacca. According to Repubblica, Arsenal had a 35m bid rejected as the mid-table Serie A side seek for a greater fee.
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The possibility of signing a player of Scamacca’s profile would have drastic implications for the potential arrival of Jesus. As Guardiola has already said, the Brazilian can play all three positions in the attack to a very high standard.
“If one person, one player deserves the best, it is Gabriel,” said Pep Guardiola after Jesus scored in a 1-0 win over Chelsea last season. “He runs for everyone and when he scores, I am the happiest man. He can play in the three positions up front, and he does it really well.”
With this in mind, and Scamacca having the profile of the more traditional number nine, this would effectively see Jesus perform in a wider role more often. Whether this is a drawback for any potential move is unknown with more money and more minutes almost certain to still come with a switch to north London.
Scamacca’s zero Serie A assists compared to Jesus’ nine in the Premier League point toward a potential partnership where the Italian would prosper plenty from his new teammate's unselfishness. That said, there is no clarity yet on where Jesus will be positioned, with that only coming to light once a transfer is agreed and Mikel Arteta can be questioned on it.
However, despite the reports of bids for Scamacca, the CEO of Sassuolo Giovanni Carnevali has said that any deal is certainly not ‘concrete’ at this stage. The talk of a bid was also downplayed with the club director admitting only to contact with other clubs and nothing more.
“There’s nothing concrete yet for Scamacca, just some contacts with some clubs”, he told Sky Sports. “Of course, after playing with the National team the interest is now growing.”
The transfer window continues to promise much but at present has delivered very little. With the international football coming to a close, holiday periods nearing the start of preseason and clubs coming back to life, there is sure to be plenty of movement in the coming weeks.
