Arsenal have stepped up their interest in Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella by sending a scout to watch him during his side's game against Juventus in Serie A on Tuesday.
Barella, who came up through the ranks at Cagliari, has been the subject of interest from several clubs, including Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea, over the course of the last year.
The 22-year-old has been a regular for the first team at the Sardegna Arena, as his stock continues to rise with more and more experience under his belt in Italy.
And according to Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, Arsenal have now stepped up their interest in Barella by sending one of their scouts to watch him during Cagliari’s defeat to Juventus on Tuesday.
Barella played the entirety of the defeat to the Old Lady on Tuesday after he was deployed in an advanced role in midfield by Rolando Maran.
The Italy international has come on leaps and bounds since making his Serie A debut in 2015, and seems to be high on the list of potential midfield reinforcements for Unai Emery.
However, Barella is believed to be keen on remaining in Italy with all of Inter, Roma and AC Milan, who also sent a scout to watch him against Juventus, interested in a potential swoop for the midfielder.
Barella signed an extension that would keep him in Sardinia until the summer of 2022 in January last year.
