Arsenal get serious over €100m striker signing after contract agreement

5 Oct 2026 19:03 BST 3 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Arsenal have rekindled their interest in Inter striker Pio Esposito despite his recent contract extension.

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The 21-year-old has been one of the breakout stars in Serie A over the past year. A powerful centre-forward, Pio Esposito bagged 10 goals for Inter last season despite the club's wealth of top-level striker options.

As such, the youngster has become the great hope of Italian football given the national team's notorious lack of reliable No.9s in recent years. Since his debut in September 2025, Pio Esposito has already racked up 12 caps, scoring six times.

Current ETV

ETV Range

€30.9M - €37.8M

Last week, Pio started alongside his older brother Sebastiano Esposito for the Azzurri against Turkey, marking the first time since 1915 that two siblings played for Italy from the beginning in the same match. A third brother, Salvatore, also previously featured for the country in 2022.

Domestically, the 21-year-old has scored twice for Inter so far in this nascent season. He has started four times in Serie A but was an unused substitute against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Arsenal get serious over Esposito

Amid his breakout 2025/26 campaign for the Nerazzurri, Esposito began attracting high-profile interest. In February, FootballTransfers first revealed that the young forward had appeared on the radar of Arsenal.

The Gunners made numerous checks on Esposito's availability throughout the spring, with sporting director Andrea Berta a huge admirer, but it eventually became clear that Inter had no appetite to sell him.

At the time, it was reported that only offers in the region of €100 million could get the Serie A champions to reconsider. Understandably, Arsenal were not willing to go that high for a player who was still very much a prospect rather than the finished product.

In order to quell the speculation about his future, Inter opened talks over a new contract with Esposito. The youngster was keen to stay in Milan, so reaching an agreement did not prove too difficult, even if it took perhaps longer than expected.

Last month, Inter officially rewarded Esposito with a raise and tied him to the club until 2032. However, this has done little to deter his suitors. TEAMtalk claims that Arsenal are once again all over the 21-year-old.

The Premier League champions have "hatched a plan" to sign Esposito after scouts watched him in action for Italy during this international break. He is firmly among the North London club's striker options for 2027.

Arsenal are widely expected to dip into the forward market next year amid uncertainty over the future of Viktor Gyokeres, who has struggled for minutes after a somewhat underwhelming debut campaign at the Emirates.

The Sweden international, who has been red-hot for his country in this break, has no shortage of suitors and is understood to be frustrated with his current situation. Arsenal would be willing to consider suitable offers for him next year.

Signing Esposito could prove difficult due to his long-term contract and desire to become a star for Inter. He has been with the Milan giants for most of his life, so there is a strong emotional bond with the club.

Nevertheless, he is one of the premier options on Mikel Arteta's striker shortlist heading into 2027.