Arsenal have been linked Mateo Retegui ahead of the summer transfer window - a player who was once compared to Gabriel Batistuta.

The Gunners are suffering in terms of injury as present, with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz out until the end of the season, while Bukayo Saka is expected to return to from a hamstring injury in April. The north London outfit haven't let that impact them too much however, achieving a 2-0 victory over Leicester City away from home on Saturday as Mikel Arteta deployed a makeshift front three of Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri.

However, it is reported that the top brass at the Emirates Stadium are monitoring Retegui closely as they look to add more depth to the club for 2025/26. The club missed out on Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in January, and it is reported by Foot Mercato that Arsenal have been "in contact" with Atalanta about the star striker.

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The Gunners will face stiff competition should they hope to acquire the 25-year-old, with the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Villa also said to be considering a move for Retegui. The forward has 20 goals from 22 appearances in the Serie A to his name this term - becoming the first-ever player in the history of the league to compile a tally that high at this stage in the season.

And while he only arrived in Bergamo last summer, Retegui has certainly hit the ground running, impressing manager Gian Gasperini, who previously said of the star: "[He's] extraordinary when the team dominates. An extraordinary goal-scorer, because 20 goals so far is an incredible number.

"There are also games that he doesn't dominate, when you are forced to defend [and] there is room for improvement." Meanwhile, Roberto Mancini has also previously drawn comparisons between Retegui and Batistuta - a legendary player who scored more than 300 goals for club and his country of Argentina over the course of his career.

Speaking of the star last year, he explained: "Mateo can score, and that's not peanuts. He is a classical centre-forward - he reminds me of Gabriel Batistuta when he arrived in Italy. He needs time though - he still has plenty to learn. Playing in Serie A would do him good.

"He would become stronger, learn the language and communicate better with his team-mates." Retegui is currently under contract with Atalanta until 2028, and is said to have a £41.5million release clause in his contract which Arsenal could be tempted to activate over the summer.

Despite lacking in terms of firepower up top, Arsenal proved that they can score goals from anywhere on the pitch during their most recent clash with Leicester. After a largely uneventful game, Mikel Merino latched onto a cross from Nwaneri with nine minutes of normal time remaining to put the Gunners ahead.

The 28-year-old doubled his tally six minutes later at the back stick to seal a decisive 2-0 win for his side, who remain second in the Premier League standings.