Reported Arsenal and Everton target Yuri Alberto has the ability to be ‘very succesful’ in the Premier League, the striker’s former Santos coach Marcio Zanardi tells ESPN.
Internacional supporters can rest easy for now. Alberto is not going anywhere this month.
But while the free-scoring Brazilian appeared to rule out a January departure on Instagram recently, his long-term future at the Serie A giants is far less certain.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been tracking Alberto since as far back as 2017.
An Everton side who won just one Premier League game in two months during Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury-enforced absence are also eyeing up a potential £17 million for one of the most exciting young forwards in South American football.
“I believe that, if he goes to the Premier League, he will be very successful,” Zanardi says of the 20-year-old, who swapped Santos for Internacional in 2020.
“It’s fast football. He is a keen player, he has exceptional (skills) one against one. He has a lot of strength, positions himself well in the (penalty) area and finishes like few others. He has a lot of quality.”
Is Yuri Alberto on his way to Arsenal?
History is littered with examples of talented young players who failed to live up to lofty expectations after being distracted by off-the-field issues.
But Zanardi believes that Alberto’s dedication and maturity stands him in very good stead.
“Now that he’s become a father and is married, he has matured very early. If he doesn’t let off-field things get in the way, he’ll be a great player,” Zanardi adds.
“He was always very dedicated, strong and hard-working. He’s always been a top scorer and very smart.”
Alberto has hit double figures in each of his first two seasons with Internacional, finding the net 18 times last term.
And while his arrival at Arsenal would not exactly capture the imagination like a Dusan Vlahovic or an Alexander Isak, Alberto’s affordable £17 million price-tag could work in his favour.
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