Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal reportedly want to bring Roma’s Serie A star Bryan Cristante to the Premier League.
Arsenal are set to send scouts to Italy this weekend as they weigh up a move for Roma ace Bryan Cristante, according to Calciomercato.
A much-travelled Italian international, Cristante is now playing for his sixth club already at the age of just 24.
The former AC Milan, Atalanta and Benfica ace joined Roma on a £17 million deal last year after an initial loan spell at the Stadio Olympico but reports suggest that he could soon be on the move again.
Representatives from Mikel Arteta’s rejuvenated Arsenal will reportedly be in the stands on Sunday as the Giallorossi take on Lecce in Serie A, with the North London giants keeping tabs on this all-action central midfielder.
At his best, Cristante is a dynamic, creative midfielder capable of carving apart opposition back lines or finding the net himself. He scored a combined 13 goals in his last two full Serie A seasons, for Atalanta and Roma respectively.
A teenage Cristante famously turned his back on Milan just when he was starting to make a name for himself at the San Siro, a decision that many at the seven-time European champions regret to this day.
“Cristante asked to go because there are too many players [ahead of him],” lamented Milan’s then-vice chairman Adriano Galliani. “We would have liked him to stay.”
His departure was a controversial one but Cristante has reaped the rewards, playing regular first-team football in recent years to hone his considerable talents. And, with Arsenal now allegedly interested, it appears he could be on his way back to one of Europe’s elite clubs before too long.
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