Arsenal ‘one of the first to enquire’ about prolific £33m striker

Arsenal have been closely tracking the progress of Monza star Gustavo Varela are ‘one of the first clubs to enquire’ about a possible transfer deal for the forward, according to reports in Portugal.

Varela was deemed surplus to requirements at Benfica and moved to newly promoted Italian outfit Monza for a fee of just €2million (£1.7m) – plus performance-related bonuses – in the summer.

Monza are languishing down in 18th place in the table, with only two wins to their name, in what has been a difficult start to life on their return to Serie A.

Varela has proven a shining light up front, though, scoring nine goals in his opening nine appearances, and his barnstorming form in Lombardy has begun to attract the attentions of European football’s elite.

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Barcelona, Napoli and Arsenal are all actively pursuing a deal for the Lisbob-born 21-year-old on the back of his goalscoring exploits in the first two months of the season.

It’s claimed Arsenal are among a host of Premier League clubs to have ‘expressed an interest’ in Varela and ‘one of the first to enquire’ about the player’s potential availability.

The reigning English champions are said to be in the market for a striker of Varela’s profile, with Viktor Gyokeres badly struggling to live up to expectations following his £64m arrival from Sporting last year.

The report adds that Monza have slapped an asking price on Varela in the region of €40-50m (£33-42m). That this sum is likely to rise again if Jorge Jesus hands the attacker his first senior Portugal call-up on Friday.

Benfica did not insert a buy-back clause in their deal with Monza for Varela but will be entitled to 20 per cent of any future transfer fee for the sought-after youngster.

The Primeira Liga club also have the right of first refusal should a bidding war break out for the Portugal Under-21 international, who was named the Serie A Rising Star of the Month for October.

Varela’s current contract with Monza runs through to June 2030.

‘I didn’t expect to start off so strong,’ Varela recently said of his lightning start in Italian football.

‘I always work hard to deliver these performances and score lots of goals. I hope to continue like this.

‘There’s a project here to develop young players. The club’s goals convinced me to come here, and I hope to contribute as much as possible to the cause.

‘Being at the top of the top scorers’ table is a fantastic feeling, but honestly, I don’t think about it too much.

‘I try to take it day by day, already thinking about scoring in the next game to help the team, because the result is very important to me.

‘I feel good here, I like the atmosphere and the way the way the city lives.’

Rumours over potential attacking additions at Arsenal will continue as long as Gyokeres’ performances fail to improve in north London.

The Sweden international has made just one start in the Premier League season and is still yet to find the net in the English top flight, with Mikel Arteta favouring Kai Havertz as the focal point of his attack.

However, Gyokeres will have done his chances no harm whatsoever with a strong display in the Champions League on Wednesday night as he scored and assisted in a 2-1 victory over Slavia Prague.

Facing the media shortly after the final whistle in Prague, Arteta heaped praise on Gyokeres’ showing, applauding his ‘connection’ with his team-mates.

‘I thought he was really good. It was a game we believed would be really good for him, for the demands the opponent puts in and the spaces he could use.

‘He’s done it really well, not just for the assist and the goal, but he was really connected to the team. It’s really great news for him, because he really needed that performance.’

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