Expert view on Arsenal's £56m Andrea Belotti bid - Is he worth it? Will he leave?

We asked Mattia Fontana, a reporter with our Italian office, to give us his expert analysis on the player who could be involved in the biggest transfer of the January window.

Torino have turned down an offer which would make Belotti the fourth most expensive Premier League player of all time after Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria and Kevin de Bruyne.

But what is it about the Italy striker that has had Arsene Wenger abandoning his usual caution in the transfer market? Would he be a success if he did move to the Emirates? And why does he have his unusual nickname?

MF: The news made the headlines over the last few days and everyone knows that Torino’s chairman, Urbano Cairo, is very good at selling players. So there would be no surprise in Belotti leaving Torino…

MF: It’s hard to say, because market prices are so volatile. What I can say is that if I were Arsene Wenger, I would spend that amount of money on a more reliable striker. Belotti is becoming better and better, but he has never played for a big club and this is a big difference between a good and a great striker, in my opinion.

MF: He is a modern striker who has become more and more confident in his ability arriving in Torino at the beginning of 2016. Being coached by Giampiero Ventura for a year (the guy behind Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile’s best seasons), has surely helped. He is a fighter, which would make him a perfect striker for the Premier League, but he also has good technique considering how big he is.

MF: He was a revelation when he was 17-18 playing for AlbinoLeffe in Serie B and he was signed by Palermo when he was 20 for €2.5m. But he struggled a lot in Sicily, becoming third-choice forward behind Paulo Dybala and Franco Vazquez. Then everything changed when he joined Torino.

MF: He can become a good striker in the Premier League, but I don’t see him making a huge impact in a team where you have Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud. When you talk about an Italian player going abroad, you always have to consider the adaptation factor. You don’t want another Simone Zaza, do you?

MF: He is nicknamed ‘Gallo’ (Rooster) because he was running after roosters in his aunt’s farm when he was a kid and when he scores he does the “rooster celebration”. His parents forced him to complete his college studies even after he had become a professional. He is a big AC Milan supporter and his idol is Andrei Shevchenko (possibly not a good omen for the Premier League…)