With nearly a third of the season of the 2010-11 Serie A campaign football played, Germán Denis is the surprise leader in the goalscoring charts.
The 30-year-old Argentine has hit an impressive nine league goals for newly promoted Atalanta, currently on loan from high flying Udinese.
Denis is undoubtedly one of football’s journeymen, playing for no less than nine clubs before signing for Atalanta on a season-long loan deal. The deal was completed following Udinese’s defeat to Arsenal in the final Champions League qualifying round.
He has split his playing career between his native Argentina and Italy. Denis started out at Talleres RE, scoring an impressive twenty five goals in thirty three appearances. This was followed by a short-lived spell at Quilmes, before a successful season at Los Andes, scoring eighteen goals.
Denis decided Italy’s third tier was the place to be in the summer of 2002, when Cesena acquired the striker’s services. Despite finishing third in Serie C1, Denis cut a frustrated figure scoring only three times in twenty nine appearances.
It was back to Argentina for the already much travelled frontman. Five seasons at three clubs, including a successful two seasons at Independiente attracted the attentions of Italy’s top clubs. It was Napoli who brought him back for a second attempt at succeeding in Italy, splashing out around €7.5 million for his services.
Much was expected of Denis, having made his international debut for Argentina during his spell at Independiente. Denis started his Napoli career in wonderful fashion, scoring a hat-trick in a 10-0 mauling over Austrian minnows Jennersdorf during pre-season.
Denis followed this up with a hat-trick against Reggina early on in the 2008/2009 campaign. He was a regular for the rest of the campaign, as well as the following year, however thirteen goals in these two seasons just wasn’t good enough.
With the likes of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi pressing for a place in the starting XI, Denis couldn’t make it to a third season with one club, something he has still yet to achieve. Still, despite this modest return, Udinese swooped in to bring him to bring him to the Stadio Friuli.
A disappointing season saw Denis bag just four goals in twenty five league appearances. Fans of the Bianconeri were less than impressed, and new manager Francesco Guidolin saw fit to send him out on loan to Atalanta.
His start to the season may have surprised a few, but it appears that it’s at the smaller clubs that Denis seems to excel and enjoy his football the most. Atalanta currently lie in thirteenth position, yet they would be fifth if not for their six point deduction for alleged match fixing.
Denis’ performances and goals have been imperative in this impressive return to Serie A for La Dea. There is no reason to suggest he’ll stop here and has to be one of the favourites to win the Capacannoniere come the end of the season.
His main rival for the crown will be his team mate at parent club Udinese, Antonio Di Natale. There are plenty of others in with a shout too, Sebastian Giovinco currently is a goal behind Denis, having scored eight. However, it would take a hell of an effort to continue his blistering start to the season for the entire campaign.
Miroslav Klose at Lazio & Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also have some say in who win’s Italy’s golden boot.
Follow Ryan Smith on Twitter: @ryankevsmith and be sure to check out his blogs ‘Serie A Weekly’ & ‘Husky Mustard‘.
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