Manchester United are weighing up a move for Inter Milan striker Pio Esposito, one of Europe’s brightest young forwards.
According to TEAMtalk, the Premier League club sent scouts to Greece on Sunday to watch him in action.
Esposito caught the eye again, scoring as Italy beat Greece 1-0 days after netting against Luxembourg.
Man Utd scout Inter’s Pio Esposito as Zirkzee exit looms
Those goals were no fluke. Esposito has enjoyed a breakout campaign at the San Siro this season. He scored around 10 goals and added six assists in his first full senior year.
A product of Inter’s academy, he spent two seasons in Serie B with Spezia first. His form has since taken his Italy tally to five goals in nine caps.
United are far from his only admirers. TEAMtalk reports that Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea’s owners BlueCo have all tracked him for a year.
United’s recruitment staff, though, came away convinced he can become a top-class centre-forward.
The timing fits the club’s plans. Joshua Zirkzee looks increasingly likely to leave after a tough spell since joining from Bologna. That opens a gap up front, and Esposito is one of several names in the frame.
There is a neat twist here, too. Inter are said to admire Zirkzee themselves, which could pave the way for a swap deal.
Such an arrangement might hand United an edge over their rivals. Prising Esposito away will not be straightforward, however.
Inter view him as a cornerstone of their future and rate him highly. His contract runs long, and reports value him at upwards of £50m.
Whether the player fancies a Premier League move remains unclear. The Greek trip served a dual purpose as well.
Scouts also checked again on Christos Tzolis and Christos Mouzakitis. United have monitored both Greek internationals throughout the season.
