Real Madrid monitoring 20-year-old Serie A centre-forward – report | OneFootball

Real Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat is always on the lookout for young talents with potential to make it big. He has been key to the club pulling off signings like Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Arda Guler, Endrick, and most recently, Franco Mastantuono.

The Real Madrid head scout is already working on identifying potential targets for the future, with AZ Alkmaar’s Kees Smit emerging as an option.

Now, it appears that another exciting young player has caught the attention of Calafat.

Real Madrid monitoring Pio Esposito

Indeed, according to Defensa Central, Real Madrid are closely following Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito, who could emerge as one of the surprises of next summer’s transfer market.

Calafat has been monitoring the 20-year-old striker closely and carefully, and his profile is appreciated at the club, with some even comparing him to Joselu.

Standing 1.90 metres tall, Esposito is a penalty-box striker who thrives in that area. He has already scored spectacular goals, with a strong ability to finish crosses.

Pio Esposito on Real Madrid’s radar. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Esposito spent the last two seasons on loan at Spezia, where he scored 22 goals in 79 matches, while registering three assists.

Back at Inter since June, in time to play at the FIFA Club World Cup, the youngster has four appearances for the Nerazzurri, with a goal and an assist apiece to his name. He also made his debut for the Italian national team.

Inter Milan are happy with their young academy talent, who has a contract until 2030, but would be open to a departure for a price of around €30 million.

For now, Esposito is fully committed to Inter, but a call from the Santiago Bernabeu could change everything. The key development is that Calafat has him on his radar.

However, some within Valdebebas emphasise the progress of Gonzalo Garcia and the presence of Endrick as competition for the centre-forward position behind Kylian Mbappe.

So, it remains to be seen if any attempt is made to sign Esposito in the near future. For now, though, the young Italian has registered on the radars of Calafat and Real Madrid.