Francesco Pio Esposito came off the bench in the 56th minute, reacted inside the area to a driven Romano cross three minutes from time and sealed Italy’s 3-1 win over Türkiye at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. It was his seventh goal in 13 international appearances, extending a run that began with his senior debut in September 2025.
Arsenal’s scouts watched the whole thing. The recruitment team under sporting director Andrea Berta, appointed in March 2025 to succeed Edu Gaspar, has been running checks on the 21-year-old since the spring, and he is now one of the top names on Mikel Arteta’s striker shortlist for 2027.
Inter have other ideas.
Inter’s six-year commitment
In September the Nerazzurri extended Esposito’s contract to 30 June 2032, making him the first player in Italy to sign a six-year deal after a 2025 reform scrapped the country’s previous five-year cap. His net salary rose from €1.85m to €2.7m a year.
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“It is certainly something very emotional. When I got into the car to come here, I had butterflies in my stomach,” Esposito said after signing.
He credited Cristian Chivu, who coached him at under-14 and Primavera level before taking over Inter’s first team in June 2025. Under Chivu, Esposito helped Inter win a Serie A and Coppa Italia double in his first full senior season, with 10 league goals.
Inter’s €100m wall
The new deal is more than a reward. It is a wall. Before the extension, Italian outlet LInterista reported that Inter would not negotiate “not even for €100 million”. The six-year contract, at the top of what Italian rules now allow, reinforces that message for every suitor. Manchester United are reportedly tracking him too.
A fee anywhere near €100m would make Esposito one of the most expensive striker transfers in football history.
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Arteta’s No. 9 problem
Arsenal’s attention is driven by a vacancy up front. Viktor Gyökeres’ first months at the Emirates have reportedly been uneven, and the Gunners have spent the autumn running the rule over younger centre-forwards who fit Arteta’s template. The 1.95m Esposito matches it: physical, left-footed, built to finish inside the box.
A January move looks difficult. Inter are chasing a title defence, the new contract gives them full control, and Esposito himself called the extension “an important milestone for my life and my career, although it is absolutely not a finishing point”.
Italy’s next Nations League fixture is at home to France at the San Siro on 12 November.
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