Arsenal start pursuit of €40m Pio Esposito alternative

Tom Weber

Updated: 13 Mar 2026 17:11 GMT
4 min read

Francesco Pio Esposito, Arsenal — © IMAGO

Arsenal have reignited their interest in Bologna striker Santiago Castro as an alternative target to Inter wonderkid Francesco Pio Esposito.

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With Gabriel Jesus facing an uncertain future at the Emirates, Arsenal are mulling over signing a young backup striker this summer. As exclusively revealed by FootballTransfers, Pio Esposito is one of Mikel Arteta's preferred names for the position.

However, Inter are refusing to play along. The Nerazzurri view the 20-year-old as the future of the club and have absolutely no intention of sanctioning his departure. It would likely require a fee north of €100 million just for them to consider a potential sale.

Current ETV

Pio Esposito

F (C)

Inter

Pio Esposito

F (C)

Inter

ETV Range

€24M - €29.4M

Moreover, Arsenal are not his only admirers. CaugthOffside claims that Man Utd are also keeping tabs on his situation and that both clubs have made "initial contacts" over a potential deal.

With a deal for Pio Esposito looking unlikely, Arsenal are now exploring different options, and RTI Esporte reports that a familiar name has emerged on the Gunners' radar again.

Arsenal back in for Castro

Bologna forward Santiago Castro has been linked with a potential move to Flamengo in recent days. When investigating these claims, the Brazilian outlet discovered that Arsenal remain in the mix to sign the Argentine.

FootballTransfers broke the news of the North London club's interest last spring, when the 21-year-old was starting to make waves in Serie A. Ultimately, Arsenal decided to go for the experience of Viktor Gyokeres over the potential of Castro in the summer.

Interest in the youngster has persisted, even as he struggled for form and fitness in the early stages of the season due to playing through a nasty injury. He has scored 10 goals across all competitions.

"During training, a teammate put his foot between me and the ball, and I hit him," he explained in October. "The ligaments in my foot were involved, and there was bone oedema.

"My foot was red and purple, and I couldn't walk. [Bologna head coach Vincenzo] Italiano is right when he says I've been playing on one foot for the last few months."

Castro was heavily linked with Chelsea towards the end of 2025, but it is now Arsenal who seem to have reignited their interest in the World Cup hopeful. Bologna, it is believed, are willing to sell this summer if they receive a fee in the region of €40m.

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