Why Arsenal and Spurs have received striker boost

Martin Macdonald

• 27 Oct 2021 10:32 BST
• 5 min read

Arsenal or Tottenham could land one of their primary transfer targets this summer as a free agent, with Torino striker Andrea Belotti set to leave the Italian side at the expiration of his contract.

The Gunners have been searching for a centre-forward for a while as a potential replacement for Alexandre Lacazette, whose days at the Emirates appear to be numbered.

Though Mikel Arteta has claimed the Frenchman will not leave in January, there is every possibility that, like Belotti, he will leave as a free agent in the summer.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are looking for reinforcements in the striker position.

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This past summer, it would have been as a replacement for Harry Kane if the England striker left for Tottenham, but it now seems like Belotti could be targeted to provide competition up top.

There is also the possibility that Kane could leave in 2022, also.

Torino head coach Ivan Juric confirmed that Belotti's intention is to leave at end of his current contract in June.

"Belotti won’t sign the contract extension," he told reporters.

"He won’t leave in January, he’ll see himself here until the end of the season.

"I hope he will have a great season, then we will look each other in the eyes and he will choose his future.

"There will be no approaches, I hope he will have a good year and then we’ll see.”

Who else has been linked with Belotti?

As well as Arsenal and Tottenham, the two clubs most notably linked with Belotti are Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

With regards to Juventus, that deal was previously highly unlikely due to the Bianconeri's status as Torino's city rivals.

Torino president Urbano Cairo previously said there is no way he will ever sanction the sale of star centre-forward Belotti to Juventus.

"Juventus and Belotti? I have not had any kind of approach with Juventus in this regard," Cairo told Tuttosport.

"And, even if they ask me, never in life. Juve, we're not joking”.

However, there the likelihood of this deal taking place would increase if Torino were not involved, as would be the case if Belotti becomes a free agent.

It is unclear as to whether Belotti would choose Juventus as his next club or not due to his affiliation with Torino.

He is captain of the club and has played with them for six years.