Montolivo on Wenger’s radar
Reports today suggest Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keeping tabs on Fiorentina midfielder Ricardo Montolivo. Rated at around the £18m mark, the Italian – who impressed at this summer’s World Cup, despite his country’s disastrous campaign – could be seen as a ready-made replacement for Cesc Fabregas, who has been targeted by Barcelona throughout the summer. But even though the Fabregas deal appears dead, for now, Montolivo could still be on his way to Emirates.
The prospect of a season without European football in Florence has led to many clubs snooping around their prized assets, with the 25-year-old Montolivo attracting interest from both Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as Arsenal this summer. With Wenger often reluctant to splash out large sums of money on players – instead preferring to nurture his talent from a young age – Montolivo may prove too big a gamble for the Frenchman. Although highly-rated, he is very much in the same mould as Alberto Aquilani, who struggled to settle into life in the Premier League.
However, Montolivo doesn’t have the same kind of injury record as the aforementioned Aquilani and he is seen as the future of the Italian national team core which floundered so badly in South Africa. If Arsenal do secure his signature they’ll be bringing in an undoubtedly talented operator, with an eye for not just a threatening pass, but also for plenty of goals. If the Gunners are realistically looking to compete with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and even Manchester City, Montolivo is the kind of classy player they are in need of. Wenger’s youthful players have struggled when that final push is needed, and thus silverware has eluded them all too often recently. The signings a genuine striker and two central defenders have boosted the Arsenal ranks already this summer, and a Montolivo-Fabregas partnership in the central midfield areas, may well be the final piece in the jigsaw.
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