Arsenal are reportedly watching former Liverpool attacker Suso, with a summer swoop being lined up as a potential replacement for Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez.
According to a report from Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport, which was carried by Football Italia, Premier League heavyweights Arsenal are scouting AC Milan star Suso as they look to beef up their attacking ranks in the summer transfer window.
The North London club are keen on adding a winger to their roster, given the lack of a natural wide player in the ranks currently. To that end, they have been linked with a number of players recently, most notably Lille’s Nicolas Pepe, who has been in sensational form in the ongoing campaign.
However, with the French Ligue 1 outfit likely to demand a fee in the excess of £50 million for their crown jewel, Arsenal seem to be looking at potential alternatives, with former Liverpool attacker Suso emerging as a target. The 25-year-old Spaniard came through the youth ranks at Cadiz before joining Liverpool in 2010.
However, things never worked out for Suso in England and after a loan spell at UD Almeria, he switched to AC Milan in January 2015. Things did not start all too well for the Spaniard in Italy, but after a short loan spell with Genoa, he has established himself as a key member of the Milan side since the last season.
In the ongoing term, Suso has featured 30 times across all competitions for Gennaro Gattuso’s side, finding the back of the net on six occasions, while setting up seven more.
Arsenal’s interest in the four-time capped Spanish international could also be stemming from the fact that January loan signing Denis Suarez hasn’t been able to make the desired impact since arriving. The Spaniard was brought in from Barcelona on loan till the end of the season, with an option to make the switch permanent.
However, the 25-year-old is yet to start a single game for the Gunners and has featured just six times across all competitions, totalling up to just 95 minutes of on-field action, in which he has not scored or assisted a goal. Given the lack of impact from the Spaniard, Arsenal might be forced to think twice before signing him on permanently.
Suso has been linked with a return to England previously, with reports last month claiming that Arsenal’s fierce local rivals Tottenham Hotspur keen to sign him in the summer. The fact that the 25-year-old has a release clause worth £35 million only makes him an exciting prospect for both Arsenal and Tottenham.
However, it remains to be seen if the Gunners take their interest further in the summer transfer window or decide to look elsewhere in order to boost their attack ahead of the 2019-20 season.
