Arsenal have tabled a contract offer to Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne
Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb have reported that Arsenal have stepped up their interest in signing Lorenzo Insigne from Napoli in the summer, by putting a contract offer on the table for the Italian forward.
Insigne is enjoying a breakthrough season at San Paolo, having established himself as a fundamental member in manager Maurizio Sarri’s first team plans. One of the first names on the team sheets, his explosive performances from the left wing have been key in Napoli boasting the best attacking figures in Serie A.
The 25-year-old has appeared in all but one league game for his side this season, scoring 12 goals while providing 7 assists in those matches, meaning he has directly contributed to a goal ever 112.5 minutes. Surely enough, his exploits haven’t gone unnoticed, with clubs starting to circle around Insigne.
Liverpool and AC Milan have been showing an interest in the Italy international recently, but Arsenal have been linked heavily with the player, having had him scouted on several occasions in recent months.
Arsene Wenger does have a wealth of options in attack, with quality players like Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi, Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck to choose from. But if recent reports are anything to go by, the French manager could be in desperate need of some attacking reinforcements in the summer.
That is because two of his most important players in Sanchez and Ozil have their futures at the Emirates under heavy speculation, with rumours indicating that a summer exit is looming large for the duo.
Perez is also being heavily linked with a move away from North London after growing frustrated with lack of opportunities with the first team. Thus, with the Arsenal boss could soon have a dearth of attacking options, meaning he has turned his attention towards Insigne.
Insigne’s versatility to play equally well across the three positions behind the striker makes him an option worth considering. In addition to that, he also brings directness and a burst of pace and creativity to the plate, something that could go missing if Sanchez and Ozil leave in the summer.
Napoli, though, are eager to keep hold of a player who came through the ranks at the club, but recent reports have stated that talks over a new deal have gone nowhere. While the Partenopei have agreed the length of Insigne’s new contract, the two parties are at loggerheads over the financials.
Napoli are falling short by €500,000-a-year, and now Arsenal have taken a decisive step towards landing Insigne in the summer, having offered a five-year, €5 million-a-year deal to the player. An offer of €45 million could be enough to tempt Napoli into selling Insigne, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal are ready to shell out the sum.
