According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Arsenal are in contention to sign Federico Bernardeschi this summer. The Juventus star is contemplating on leaving Turin in search of regular game-time, following a disappointing spell under Maurizio Sarri. The Premier League is said to be his preferred destination.
Arsenal, in that regard, have emerged as a potential destination for Bernardeschi next season, although the Gunners could face stiff competition from league rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.
Federico Bernardeschi’s spell at Juventus
Bernardeschi initially arrived at Juventus back in 2017, in a €40 million move from Fiorentina. However, he has struggled to make an impact since, particularly due to the lack of game-time. He featured in less than 1,000 minutes of league football in his debut campaign, and it has been pretty much the same story in the ongoing season.
New manager Sarri has often frozen him out of the starting lineup, in favour of players like Douglas Costa, Paulo Dybala and the obvious Cristiano Ronaldo. As a result, Bernardeschi has featured in only 795 minutes of league football and is yet to involve himself in a single goal so far.
What can he bring to the table?
A winger by trade, Bernardeschi is primarily known for his aggressive style of play. He loves to take on defenders in the final third and create chances using his dynamism and flair. The Italian international is also quite versatile as he can operate anywhere in attack, including the number nine role.
In fact, Bernardeschi has even been utilised as a central attacking midfielder, at times. However, what makes him such a highly rated attacker is his direct style of play as well as pace, making him a scourge for the opposing defenders.
Should Arsenal make a move for Bernardeschi?
Bernardeschi is indeed an appealing target for Arsenal for multiple reasons. Given his struggles at Juventus, the 26-year-old is likely to be available for a cut-price deal in the summer. It is combined with a vast amount of experience at the highest level of football, and that should help him integrate quickly to his new club.
However, at the same time, Bernardeschi has played very little football over the past three years. Productivity has also emerged as an issue, with the forward scoring only nine goals in 94 matches, albeit being robbed of adequate game-time.
Also, the Italian international is an injury-prone attacker, having suffered from numerous fitness issues throughout his spell in Turin. Hence, Bernardeschi will be nothing more than a risky target for an Arsenal side desperately looking for some insurance, especially following the flop signing of Nicolas Pepe last summer.
