Arsenal have joined Newcastle and Wolves in the race for Facundo Pellistri with Calciomercato reporting that the Penarol wonderkid is being seen as the new Paulo Dybala.
There appears to be a temptation, especially in South America, to compare each and every bright young thing to an established footballing superstar.
Just ask Dybala. Barely a day went by, during his formative years at Palermo, when this left-footed pocket rocket of a forward was not being likened to a certain Lionel Messi.
And with Dybala now firmly ingrained in the wider footballing consciousness, Pellistri is now undergoing his own right of passage.
The teenage winger may be Uruguayan rather than Argentine but his ability to drift into pockets of space before bursting past unsuspecting defenders have many wondering whether he is the second coming of the Juventus number ten.
Pellistri is expected to leave Penarol this summer, thanks in part to an affordable £13 million release clause in his contract.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked via The Mail, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side making a habit of signing gleaming rough diamonds in recent years. Now, Calciomercato has thrown Arsenal’s name into the frame, alongside Newcastle and Manchester City.
Perhaps inspired by the success of Gabriel Martinelli and Pablo Mari, Arsenal are expected to return to a familiar hunting ground this summer with the South American market offering value for money in an era of unprecedented financial uncertainty.
And if Pellistri does prove to be Dybala 2.0, that may be the best £13 million Arsenal will spend this decade.
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