Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly joined Serie A duo Napoli and AC Milan in the race to sign Torino’s £22 million-rated centre-forward Antonio Sanabria.
It’s seven years now since Toni Sanabria became the youngest player in Sporting Gijon’s history ever to score a senior hat-trick; his maiden La Liga treble coming at the age of just 19.
But, for the first time since that breakthrough season at Los Rojiblancos, the Paraguay international is starting to make the sort of consistent, goalscoring impact that was expected of him during those formative days in Spain.
Now 27, this is the most prolific campaign of Sanabria’s entire career. He’s scored 12 times in 26 Serie A starts at Torino. While that is hardly an eye-watering tally, La Repubblica report that Arsenal, AC Milan and Napoli are all queuing up to sign a striker heading into his prime. One available at a potential bargain fee of just £22 million.
A fraction of the fee demanded for the likes of Goncalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani and even younsgter Rasmus Hojlund.
Is Antonio Sanabria an option for Arsenal?
Neither Gabriel Jesus nor Eddie Nketiah have proven themselves capable of scoring at a reliable enough rate for a team with Premier League title ambitions at Arsenal this term. Sanabria would give Mikel Arteta another option in the final third. And there may be a feeling that the one-time Barcelona youngster could take his game to an all-new level when surrounded by the creativity of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and co.
An instinctive, old-school poacher who does most of his best work in the box; Sanabria could potentially be the classic ‘number nine’ Arsenal have arguably lacked since Olivier Giroud’s Emirates spell.
“Sanabria is an extraordinary player for me,” Torino president Urbano Cairo tells Gazzetta dello Sport. “I remember very well when he arrived in 2021, in January, when we weren’t in a very good position. And he scored some very important goals for us.
“He has incredible quality. An extraordinary boy, with an incredible character, always available, always ready to accept advice and improve.
“He’s a guy I’m very fond of. He’s also a silent guy, who doesn’t boast about anything. He has incredible qualities.”
Arsenal have a decision to make regarding Folarin Balogun this summer. The signs suggest, however, that the academy graduate will leave despite an outstanding loan spell at Stade de Reims.
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