According to a recent report by The Guardian, Premier League giants Arsenal are said to be eyeing up a summer move for the services of Sassuolo’s Italian international attacker Domenico Berardi. The report claims that the Serie A star would probably cost the Gunners a fortune to acquire, owing largely to the fact that he’s contracted to the Serie A outfit until the end of the 2024 season.
What Holes Would Berardi Fill At The Emirates Stadium?
The North London club have struggled in terms of attacking creativity all through the campaign, despite the presence of top players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. While the former is the club’s top scorer, the fact that he’s never been allowed a fixed position this season could undoubtedly be deterring his productivity. Lacazette, on the other hand, has begun to look extraordinarily inconsistent and has even been dropped from the side by Arteta over the last few weeks.
Apart from the two attackers mentioned above, Arsenal boast Mesut Ozil, Nicolas Pepe, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Martinelli. The latter four are all still far too young to be depended upon, leaving the manager with just four optimal options in the final third, with four slots available to fill.
Moreover, Aubameyang has often been deployed on the flanks due to the unavailability of another productive winger, while Nicolas Pepe continues to frustrate every time he takes to the pitch.
Mikel Arteta has introduced a high-intensity attack-minded footballing system at the Emirates since his takeover at the helm. Substantially similar to the setup that Pep Guardiola has utilised at Manchester City for the last few years, Arteta has struggled with finding the right personnel for the task at hand.
How Could Berardi Affect This Arsenal Attack?
The 25-year-old is originally a right-winger, who has the versatility required to play anywhere across the front-line, even as the second striker. Adept at keeping possession and running with the ball, the Italian is a very different kind of winger to Pepe. The former Juventus man is a no-nonsense dribbler, meaning that he’s unlikely to produce any of the audacious flicks and tricks that the Arsenal man often attempts.
What they would get instead though, is maturity and directness in the wide areas. The leggy winger is extremely intelligent with the ball at his feet and seems to have an extra eye constantly scanning for passes. Most importantly, the 25-year-old tends to be a clinical finisher of the ball once he enters the opposition’s final third. Berardi has posted impressive numbers of nine goals and five assists from 19 Serie A games this season, and could actually be the creative source in the attack that Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side have been calling out for.
