Federico Marchetti: 10 Things You Need to Know About the Arsenal Target

Arsenal are planning a £5 million move for Italian goal-keeper Federico Marchetti, but what do we know about him? Well, here are ten things.

1. Morchetti was born on February 7,1983, in Bassano del Grappa, a city on northern Italy. He stands 1.88 m tall.

2. Marchetti was a product of Torino youth system, but he made his professional debut while on loan to Pro Vercelli back in 2002.

3. In 2003 and 2004, he was loaned out to Serie C and Serie B sides Crotone and Treviso, respectively, although he didn't make an appearance for either side.

4. He made his only appearance for Torino in 2004-2005 season, when they were playing in the Serie B. In January 2005, he was once again loaned to Serie C2 side Pro Vercelli, where he managed 13 appearances.

5. After Torino went bankrupt in 2005, Marchetti signed for AlbinoLeffe, but he went to Biellese in Serie C2 in co-ownership and played 28 games in the 2005-2006 season.

6. He went back to AlbinoLeffe for the 2006-2007 season and made 13 appearances for the club. This year proved to be his breakthrough season, as he became the first choice keeper of the Serie B club.

7. The next season was even better for Marchetti, as the keeper guided his side to playoff places, earning the Serie B best goalkeeper award in the process.

8. Cagliari signed the player on loan for the 2008-2009 season, with the option to buy 50 percent of the player's rights. Marchetti was impressive in his loan spell with the Serie A club, and Cagliari finally bought the player in February 2010.

9. Marchetti got his national team call up in May 2009, after impressing with Cagliari. He won his first international cap versus Northern Ireland, and as a starter, he played the entire 90 minutes, keeping a clean sheet.

10. Marchetti was nominated by Gianluigi Buffon as his favorite young Italian goal-keeper. In South Africa, he made his World Cup debut against Paraguay as a second half substitute, replacing Buffon and keeping a clean sheet for the forty-five minutes during which he was in goal. But, he conceded four goals from six attempts on goal during the next two games.

Video: Federico Marchetti