Torino sporting director Gianluca Petrachi has claimed that the Serie-A side have rejected a bid from Arsenal for Andrea Belotti, as per Sky Sports.
The 23-year-old has been in stellar form this season scoring 14 goals in 18 appearances at the Stadio Olimpico, leading to speculation that he might make a move.
The North London club have been linked with Belotti last week with reports claiming that Wenger is eyeing a summer move.
The striker signed a contract recently which includes a €100m release clause for clubs outside of Italy.
Torino director has admitted that the Gunners put in a bid for the forward, but added that it doesn’t match the asking price.
“We received and refused a €65m (£56m) offer from Arsenal for Andrea Belotti, but it does not reflect the value of the player.”
“Anyway, he is going nowhere for now. We want to enjoy him, then we’ll see what happens.”
“We intend to keep Belotti and president Urbano Cairo signed this important buy-out clause. I think he’s worth more than they have offered.”
However, Sky Sports sources close to Arsenal have confirmed that there was no official bid made for the striker.
Belotti is just 23 and might represent a long-term attacking option for Arsenal. He has starred for Torino who are an average side quality wise, so it’s hard not to imagine how he could flourish with the likes of Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil.
The Gunners haven’t struggled for goals this season with Alexis Sanchez in red-hot form, while Giroud and Lucas Perez have provided great support. Welbeck, who returned from injury against Preston is also an option.
There’s plenty of competition for places at the moment at the North London club and if reports of his arrival are true then it will definitely signal the departure of at least one or two forwards in the side.
£50m is a high fee for a player who has hardly played at top level and even if he was available for a lower price, it seems unlikely that Wenger would attempt to sign him in January.
