Arsenal, Liverpool scouts impressed by Roma teenager Emanuele Lulli

Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur scouts were keeping close tabs on Roma full-back Wesley, but their visits to watch the Brazilian have produced an unexpected second transfer target in 19-year-old academy graduate Emanuele Lulli.

Premier League interest in Wesley is nothing new. The Brazil international has attracted admirers in England since establishing himself in Serie A, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham among the clubs understood to have monitored his development closely.

However, according to TEAMtalk, scouts attending Roma matches with Wesley in mind have found themselves increasingly impressed by another member of Gian Piero Gasperini's defence.

Lulli had never made a senior appearance for Roma before this season, but the teenager has started all four of his first-team games so far and accumulated 336 minutes.

Those performances have reportedly been strong enough for scouts from Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs to recommend that their respective recruitment departments now treat Lulli as a genuine potential target.

In other words, clubs that travelled to watch one Roma full-back have returned home discussing two.

Lulli steals attention from Wesley scouting missions

Lulli has progressed through Roma's academy and is capable of operating as either a conventional right-back or further forward as a wing-back.

At around six feet tall, the Italian combines a sizeable physical profile with the technical qualities Gasperini expects from his wide defenders.

His rapid breakthrough has also given Roma additional tactical flexibility.

Wesley, naturally right-footed, has been used on either flank, while Lulli's emergence offers another option on the right side of Gasperini's system.

Roma's own statistics show that Lulli has already started four matches this season, playing 336 minutes, while Wesley has accumulated 351 minutes across four appearances.

That small sample has nevertheless been enough to generate substantial interest.

TEAMtalk reports that Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham have all received positive scouting feedback on Lulli after initially focusing on Wesley.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are also aware of the defender's progress and are understood to have increased their attention following his first-team breakthrough.

Paris Saint-Germain provide further competition from outside England, with the European champions also said to have been impressed by his emergence.

For Lulli, that represents a remarkable change in status after only a handful of senior matches.

For Roma, it has already created another issue to resolve.

Roma move to protect teenage breakout

The Serie A side are not believed to be considering Lulli expendable.

On the contrary, TEAMtalk reports that Roma are already looking to tie the 19-year-old down to a new contract as they attempt to protect one of the newest graduates from their academy.

That response is significant because interest in Wesley had already demonstrated how closely Premier League recruitment teams were watching Roma's full-back department.

Arsenal's admiration for the Brazilian dates back several months, with Wesley previously discussed as a possible long-term option on the right side of Mikel Arteta's defence. Liverpool and Tottenham have also continued to monitor him.

Lulli has now effectively inserted himself into the same conversation without being the original reason those scouts were in attendance.

There is no suggestion yet that Arsenal, Liverpool or any of the other interested clubs have submitted an offer, and Roma's desire to agree improved terms points towards an attempt to keep the defender rather than cash in quickly.

Nevertheless, the speed of his rise makes the situation worth monitoring.

Four first-team starts have transformed Lulli from an academy prospect into a player being discussed by six Premier League clubs and PSG.

The irony for Roma is that much of that attention appears to have arrived indirectly.

Wesley was the player Premier League scouts went to watch.

Lulli may be the one who has given them something unexpected to think about.