Arsenal are monitoring Internacional striker Yuri Alberto, and have been since as long ago as 2017, according to reports in Brazil.

Globo Esporte report that Barcelona aren’t the only club following Internacional’s Yuri Alberto closely, with Arsenal also monitoring the striker’s career evolution.

The Gunners reportedly had Alberto on their radar before he even joined Internacional, during his Santos days. They spotted him during the Montaigu Tournament in France in 2017 when he was just 16 years old.

At the time, Arsenal made contact with the player’s camp, but negotiations didn’t go any further. Instead, Alberto joined Internacional in August 2020. Today, he’d cost around €15m.

Since his last transfer under a year ago, 20-year-old Alberto has 17 goals and two assists in 49 appearances. He’s averaging a goal or assist every 136 minutes, which is not a bad record at all at his age.

Alberto has also previously received call-ups for the Brazil Olympic team, making a couple of appearances during their Olympic qualifiers in 2020.

The Gunners would need to sell a striker or two before they could buy one, so I wouldn’t expect any movement imminently on this rumour.