Arsenal Looking to Revive Interest in Domenico Berardi This Summer

According to reports, Arsenal are looking to revive their interest in Sassuolo forward Domenico Berardi this summer. The Gunners are set to face competition from fellow Premier League club Leicester City, who have been targeting the Italian forward for quite some time now.

Domenico Berardi is enjoying an excellent season with the Neroverdi. He has 26 goal involvements in as many games in the Serie A this season, with 12 goals and 14 assists for Sassuolo. He was also an important part of the Italian national team that won the Euro 2020, with 2 assists to his name in 6 games.

The 27-year-old has been playing for Sassuolo his entire career. He passed through their youth academy and played for the U19 team before joining the senior team in 2012. He then transferred to Juventus in 2013, but immediately returned to Città del Tricolore on loan for two years.

At the end of his loan spell, he moved to Sassuolo permanently in 2015, joining the Black and Greens again and has been there ever since. He never played a single game for the Bianconeri. He has long considered leaving the Mapei Stadium and a move looks more certain this summer.

Domenico Berardi, Arsenal — image Obtained via (Viola Nation.com)

According to Calciomercato (via HITC), Arsenal are looking to present Domenico Berardi with an option to move to the Premier League. Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are attempting to sign the Italian international for a third-straight window.

The Gunners were interested in signing Domenico Berardi last summer, but a move failed to materialise. They are looking to bring him to Emirates this summer. The North London side need attacking depth in the squad as there is no proper backup if one of the four forwards gets injured.

Why Arsenal Are Going After Domenico Berardi?

Arteta currently has Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe as out-and-out right-wingers. Although Saka has played a key role in Arsenal’s revival, Pepe has failed to impress the manager. In case of an injury or suspension, the team face difficulties moving through the right flank. Therefore, they are looking to improve the quality, besides increasing the squad depth.

Domenico Berardi was the first player amongst Europe’s top five leagues to reach double figures for goals and assists this season, ahead of Messi and Salah. He is currently one of the best playmakers in Serie A with the stats certainly supporting his case.

He uses his left foot to beat defenders in one-on-one situations or create chances from the right flank. He can also use his left foot to finish chances, capable of taking shots inside or outside the box. Here are the statistics depicting his chance creation this season.

He takes 3.2 shots per game while also completing 0.8 dribbles per game (stats via Who Scored). He has scored a total of 124 goals and assisted 82 times in 345 appearances in his senior career. He has a wide passing range including low diagonal passes, through balls and floats over the defenders.

Domenico Berardi also has very good ball-carrying abilities as he has more carries per 90 than the average carriers in Serie A. Not only does he carry the ball, but he also covers more distance while carrying the ball. Arsenal could rely on the right-winger to create chances in difficult situations. He could build an excellent partnership with Martin Odegaard.

Why Berardi Will Be A Great Signing For The Gunners?

Domenico Berardi has good experience as he has been playing consistently in the top-flight for the past decade. He was a key part of the Italian squad in the Euro 2020 which suggests he does have the quality to compete with top-class teammates.

Moreover, the Gunners will get a great backup option on the right flank, thus improving their squad quality. He can also help Bukayo Saka in enhancing his passing and vision. Saka is not much of a long passer, he mostly plays through balls. He usually uses his skill and pace to beat the defenders. However, if that is partnered with Berardi’s passing range, the English forward could become an even greater threat.

The 27-year-old also has a striker-like instinct, making runs inside the opposition box and getting into better positions to score goals. Moreover, Berardi tucking in at times will allow Tomiyasu to get forward and provide more attacking threats.

The only question that remains is his transfer fee. Domenico Berardi has more than 2 years left on his current contract with Sassuolo. There are not many details available about Berardi’s price. However, if Arsenal do want to sign the Italian forward in the summer, the Italian club might ask for a high price, given his stats and his importance to the team.

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