Arsenal gets go-ahead to sign discounted European forward, but must battle Premier League rivals: report

Arsenal has received clearance to pursue the signing of a highly-regarded forward this summer, who is said to be attainable at a reduced price.

Only Riccardo Calafiori has arrived at Arsenal this summer, with the club continuing to work on a deal for Mikel Merino. David Raya also made his move from Brentford permanent. 

Attention has been diverted elsewhere after the first round of fixtures in the Premier League, though, as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his forward line in order to close the gap to Manchester City. 

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Speaking ahead of Juventus' opening Serie A match against Como on Monday evening, new manager Thiago Motta highlighted that Federico Chiesa still isn't a part of the club's plans for the season. 

“Our position on Federico Chiesa hasn’t changed. He’s not part of our plans,” Motta said. “We’ve talked. It’s a demonstration of the respect I have for everyone. Transparency, clarity, that’s the way I communicate with my players.”

Chiesa's contract at Juventus is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 season, and with no new deal forthcoming reports suggest the Italian side are willing to let him leave this summer transfer window for as little as £12.8m.

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Arsenal, meanwhile, have reportedly met with Chiesa's agent in recent weeks over a possible deal, with the Italian keen on a move to the Emirates this summer. The versatile forward is capable of playing any number of positions across the frontline, which would offer Mikel Arteta greater flexibility in changing systems and personel during games. 

The Gunners would have to act quickly to secure a deal for the Italian, though, with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham all monitoring Chiesa's situation in Turin. The 26-year-old is a highly-sought after individual, and if the aforementioned price tag is true then he'd arrive in the Premier League especially cheap. 

In FourFourTwo's view, it seems inevitable that Chiesa leaves Juventus this summer, but where he ends up signing is anyone's guess at this stage. With such a vast array of clubs - sides in Italy have also been linked - it's impossible to predict where the forward will be playing his football come the end of the window. 

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