Arsenal Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Stephan El Shaarawy, Jeffrey Schlupp

AC Milan youngster Stephan El Shaarawy could be on his way to Arsenal after his brother, who also acts as his agent, confirmed a transfer to the Premier League could be appealing.

As reported by David Amoyal for Gianluca Di Marzio's website, El Shaarawy is rumoured to be a fan of the Gunners, who would undoubtedly lead the list for his services:

The 22-year-old forward shot to prominence during the 2012-13 season, when he debuted for Milan in epic fashion. He found the net 16 times during the Serie A campaign, via WhoScored.com, and was widely viewed as one of the top talents in Italy.

Since then, the winger has fallen on hard times. The past two seasons have been marred by injuries, and while Il Faraone was spending more time on the bench than on the pitch, the Rossoneri continued their slide toward mediocrity.

When healthy, El Shaarawy has played with reservations, although he has flashed all of the potential that made him such an interesting transfer target in the past. He was phenomenal against Torino, for instance, as shared by AC Milan Norway:

Fans and clubs are usually wary of investing in a player with a lengthy injury history, and for good reason. But in the case of El Shaarawy, the fault may not lie with the player. Milan have a horrible reputation when it comes to injury management, with former star striker Alexandro Pato perhaps being the best example.

As detailed by Bleacher Report's Anthony Lopopolo, Pato has been relatively healthy since returning to Brazil, and he blames the Rossoneri for all the problems he faced during his career:

"

On Wednesday, Pato again took the opportunity to try to set the story straight. In an interview with the newspaper Estadao (h/t Football Italia), the Brazilian striker repeated that the problem was not him. “When I started to get injured,” he said, “I travelled everywhere and did what I had to do, but the period of transition to the field was not done well, the work I did here in Brazil could have been done there.”

[...]

Stephan El Shaarawy started to suffer similar problems. He is young too, and he replaced Pato as the player with all the potential on the Milan squad.

So Pato returned to Brazil to find a way to stay healthy. And he did. The first year back, Pato did not get injured. 

"

In many ways, the two stories are similar. Pato blamed the club for rushing him back into action too quickly and putting too much pressure on his recovery, and the same can be said about Milan's treatment of El Shaarawy.

The Italy international played a pivotal role for the club, particularly when former striker Mario Balotelli's form started suffering, and El Shaarawy's injury problems were not aided by the heavy workload he was given at a young age.

Right now, El Shaarawy's value sits relatively low compared to where it was in 2013, and while he will always carry an injury risk, he could be a smart investment that pays huge dividends down the road.

Milan will prefer not to sell, but if El Shaarawy wants to move―and his brother's comments indicate that might be the case―it shouldn't take a big fee to bring the Italian to the Emirates.

With the versatility to play out wide or in a central role, plenty of pace and lethal finishing ability, he could well be worth the risk for the Gunners.

Jeffrey Schlupp Reportedly Eyed

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Jeffrey Schlupp was one of the breakout players of this year's Premier League campaign, and according to the Daily Express' David Wright, the Gunners are hoping to seal a £5 million transfer of the Leicester City youngster.

The 22-year-old played a pivotal role in the club's incredible run to end the campaign, securing their Premier League spot for next season. He was also elected Player of the Year by his team-mates, per the club's official Twitter account:

Schlupp has the pace and physicality required to play as a left-back but can also move further up the pitch, and his versatility would make him an interesting depth option for Arsenal.

Sir Alex Ferguson tried to bring Schlupp to Manchester United in 2013, but the Ghana international turned down the offer in favour of regular playing time with the Foxes.

A similar scenario could unfold this summer, as he likely wouldn't be a starter at the Emirates. For the right fee, he might be available, but he's more likely to stay with Leicester for at least another season.

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