Tottenham and Chelsea were among a host of Premier League clubs in Italy on Saturday to watch Monza forward Gustavo Varela, with the Portuguese striker attracting growing interest after a remarkable start to the Serie A season, TEAMtalk can reveal.

Varela is quickly emerging as one of the most talked-about young forwards in European football after making an immediate impact following his move to newly promoted Monza.

The 21-year-old joined the Italian side from Benfica after impressing during a loan spell at Gil Vicente last season. He has carried that form into the new campaign, scoring nine goals in his first nine starts in Serie A.

That extraordinary return has put Varela firmly on the radar of clubs across Europe, while his performances have also prompted talk of a potential maiden call-up to the Portugal senior squad.

TEAMtalk understands that a number of Premier League sides were represented at Saturday’s match at the Renato Dall’Ara, where they were keeping a close eye on the in-form forward.

Tottenham and Chelsea were both in attendance, but they were far from the only English clubs monitoring Varela. Newcastle United, Brighton, Brentford and Fulham also had representatives present.

The interest was not limited to England, either. Indeed, we can confirm that RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid were also at the game as the race to assess Varela’s progress gathers pace.

There is already significant admiration for the Portuguese in Italy, where Napoli, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan have all taken a keen interest in his development. Arsenal are also understood to have been impressed by what they have seen.

Tottenham, Chelsea target Varela taking Italy by storm

Varela’s appeal is about more than his goalscoring numbers. He has shown an instinct for finding space inside the penalty area, whilst timing his runs into dangerous central positions.

Scouts have also told us there is also a belief that, despite his relatively young age, Varela displays a maturity to his all-round game, which, coupled with his finishing highlights just why so many clubs are taking a keen interest.

Monza are delighted with the impact their summer signing has made, but his form is already bringing a growing list of admirers to their door.

With Tottenham, Chelsea and several other Premier League clubs now having watched him in person, alongside leading sides from Germany, Spain and Italy, Varela is firmly on the radar of Europe’s recruitment departments.

A potential Portugal call-up would only increase the attention surrounding the forward, whose first nine Serie A starts have put him among the most closely watched emerging talents in the game.