Only Arsenal’s second-ever Italian outfield player
Jorginho is set to sign for Arsenal on deadline day – and become only the club’s second outfield Italian signing.
Striker Arturo Lupoli made a handful of first-team appearances for the club in the 2005/06 season after emerging from Arsenal’s youth side.
Lupoli joined their academy in 2003 from Parma’s Under-17s and proved to be a prolific goal-scorer.
He netted 45 goals in 23 academy games and impressed coaches with his form.
While he could not replicate that level in the first-team and failed to nail down a first-team place, Lupoli did score a brace in the League Cup against Everton.
The forward would go on to have loan spells at Derby, Norwich and Sheffield United before spending most of the remainder of his career in the Italian lower leagues.
Arsenal have actually had more Italian goalkeepers than outfield players in the history of their club.
But the likes of Vito Mannone and Emiliano Viviano were never regulars.
