Inter, Arsenal like Pio Esposito. Ausilio’s clear ‘no’ to Arteta

Certain intuitions resemble flashes. Better yet, they are love at first sight that shatter rationality. This falling in love began on January 20th, when Cristian Chivu asked his closest and most faithful disciple to get up from the bench to try to destabilize the strongest team of the moment, namely Arsenal. Pio Esposito carries out the task with his usual verve. He fills the penalty area, challenges opposing defenders to a duel, turns balls towards the goal. And so it both fascinates and scares Arteta, a coach who is very sensitive to the talent of young people, who immediately asks Gabriel Magalhaes to come in to counter the latest arrival. Inter were unable to equalize and instead took the 1-3 from Gyokeres which precluded any desire for a comeback. But Pio remains in the eyes and thoughts of the winners, inspiring first the temptation and then the attempt: why not bring another Italian to North London after the successful Calafiori operation with Bologna?

contacts

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Arteta immediately spoke about it to Andrea Berta, the sporting director from Brescia who recently landed in England from Atletico Madrid, while the Arsenal fan forums ignited the debate on the Italian national team striker. And Berta, who had already anticipated the coup, quickly contacts her colleague Ausilio to find out more. How much does Esposito cost? But above all, is Esposito for sale? Inter responds without even thinking about it, combining the answer into an unappealable summary: Pio is our future, he still has four years left on his contract and is not on the market, for any amount. But thanks for your interest, eh.

pillar

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End of speech. No chance of negotiation. In fact today, despite the flattery of the Premier League, an Inter without Esposito would sound very strange, as he is gaining space and continuity with the aim of also deserving the world showcase with the blue shirt. For a few weeks, thanks to Lautaro’s injury, he has become an added starter, especially since his teammate Thuram is suffering from the competition. And now that Bonny has also stopped due to a slight muscle problem, it’s up to him to take on the responsibility of leading Inter: tonight in Como in the Italian Cup, on Sunday in the derby. In a week perhaps decisive for the developments of the season, the smallest of the company is the renewable and irreplaceable resource useful for guaranteeing collective well-being.

projects

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Inter were astute in understanding that Pio would become an asset to be protected already at the end of the last Serie B championship, when our team had come close to promotion with Spezia by scoring 19 goals. And so, before leaving for the Club World Cup, Marotta and Ausilio summoned the agent to the headquarters to secure him with a salary of around 1 million net per season until 2030, quite a bit of money for a novice in Serie A. It is clear that this agreement will have to be discussed if the offers multiply in quantity and wealth, because the players’ wages are benchmarked to the market value. Pio will thus have recognition, perhaps already at the end of the season, so as not to look with anguish at alternative opportunities. His bond with the club, which did not want to loan him out last summer following the input of his mentor Chivu, must be stronger than any other attraction.

sprint

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In the meantime, however, it’s time to focus on current events: Esposito has so far scored 7 goals and is more or less openly aiming for double figures to end his first real year as an Inter striker in style. He had the patience to wait, to make the most of every minute spent on the pitch and now he discovers the pleasure of being indispensable, thanks also to a body that doesn’t feel fatigue, not even on a neuromuscular level: from an athletic point of view, he could play all the time, every three days or even two. But he will not take advantage of the improvement in status to rest on the benefits of notoriety: he has understood, well advised by his family and his point of reference Lautaro, that he is only at the beginning of a journey that could prove magnificent.