Inter Milan president sends message to Arsenal over Pio Esposito transfer deal | Football

Inter Milan president Beppe Marotta has ruled out a summer transfer move for Pio Esposito and insists there has been no contact with Arsenal regarding a deal for the striker.

Esposito has enjoyed a breakthrough season at Inter having rejoined his boyhood side following an impressive two-season-long loan spell with Serie B outfit Spezia.

The 20-year-old’s goalscoring exploits almost helped Spezia seal promotion back to the Italian top flight last term and he has picked up where he left off with Inter, netting seven times and providing six assists in all competitions for the Serie A leaders.

But it was an eye-catching cameo performance in Inter’s Champions League clash with Arsenal in January that reportedly caught the attention of Mikel Arteta on the touchline.

According to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport this week, Esposito both ‘frightened’ and ‘fascinated’ Arteta with his impact in the group-stage tie and the youngster has ‘remained in the eyes and thoughts’ of Arsenal ever since.

Esposito started on the bench on the night but came on in place of Lautaro Martinez on the hour-mark and caused Cristhian Mosquera immediate problems with his physicality and hold-up play.

It prompted Arteta to withdraw Mosquera in favour of the more experienced Gabriel Magalhaes and the Gunners would come away from the San Siro with a 3-1 win.

The Italian newspaper claimed Arteta spoke to Arsenal chief Andrea Berta about Esposito after the game and the latter ‘quickly contacted’ Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio to learn whether the player was for sale and how much a deal might cost.

Inter were said to have ‘clearly refused’ Berta ‘without even thinking’, telling the Arsenal sporting director that the centre-forward was central cog in their plans for the future.

But when asked about these reports on Tuesday, Inter president Marotta claimed: ‘Arsenal haven’t asked us about him.

‘Inter do not want to sell him and we are not a club that makes player trading its main business.

‘He’s a product that grew up in the youth academy, and we’re guarding him like a treasure.’

Marotta appeared to shut the door on Esposito leaving Inter to join Arsenal this summer – but left the possibility open ‘in the very distant future’ for potential suitors.

‘We’ll talk about his transfer again in the future, but it’ll be a very distant future,’ he added.

Inter secured Esposito on a modest salary of around €1million-a-season (£800,000-a-season) prior to last year’s Club World Cup – a deal that may need to be improved if the likes of Arsenal continue to circle.

The 6 ft 3 in attacker made his senior debut for the Italian national team in a World Cup qualifying victory over Estonia last September, coming on as a late substitute for Moise Kean.

He has gone on to earn a further four caps for his country, scoring in three of those matches against Estonia, in the reverse fixture, and in both of Italy’s wins over Moldova and Norway back in November.

When facing the media, Inter head coach Cristian Chivu has had nothing but praise for Esposito ever since the youngster returned from his loan spell with Spezia last summer.

‘It’s the merit of a boy who wants to prove himself,’ Chivu recently said of Esposito’s meteoric rise.

‘He wants to put himself on the line and take responsibility like everyone else: if things don’t go well, it’s my fault.

‘But I like that they follow me and want to make this season what we all hope it can be.’

As the former head coach of Inter Milan’s Primavera academy side, Chivu joked that he had ‘practically grown up’ alongside Pio Esposito.

‘He was a small kid, tall. He barely reached my chest. We’ve practically grown up together,’ he explained.

‘I know his family, I know his background, his journey through the youth system. He was an underage captain in my Inter Primavera team.

‘I’m happy for him, just as I am for the rest of the team.’

Esposito’s current deal with the Serie A giants runs through to June 2030.

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