The Cult of Calcio
·26 December 2024
The Cult of Calcio
·26 December 2024
Atalanta are starting to consider adding a striker in January. Mateo Retegui will be sidelined for a while and Gianluca Scamacca needs time to return from his ACL tear. Gian Piero Gasperini has occasionally fielded a light attack but wouldn’t mind having another pure center-forward at his disposal, SportMediaset informs.
La Dea will poke around a few options, including Joshua Zirkzee, who hasn’t found his footing in the Premier League. He’s been playing regularly in recent weeks. Marko Arnautovic, Beto, Giovanni Simeone, and Giacomo Raspadori are considerably more feasible options. The newcomer will have to accept being a rotational piece and not a full-time starter.
Atalanta could also target a pacey player and adapt Ademola Lookman, Charles De Ketelaere, and Nicolò Zaniolo to the no.9 role in a pinch. In that sense, they have shown some interest in Federico Chiesa, who has barely featured since moving to Liverpool due to recurrent physical problems. They could probe a loan, but Liverpool would need to contribute significantly to his wages.
Domenico Berardi would be easier to sign, although his salary isn’t low. Sassuolo want €10M for him. He’s been eager to star in the Champions League for a few years.
Scamacca shouldn’t be rushed back, so another physical goal poacher wouldn’t hurt, also because Retegui has slowed down a little scoring-wise. They don’t need to go berserk, as their frontline is already top-notch. Some candidates are far-fetched due to their price tags and wages. Instead, they are no strangers to adding veterans to round out their squad, especially if they could get them for cheap.