He is the subject of intense speculation this month and at a vital point in his footballing career; Roma’s Mattia Destro needs to decide where best to continue his development.
Among the more talented of young strikers in Italian football today, Destro has been on the radar of European clubs for some time now. A product of Inter’s youth academy, he joined Genoa in 2010 and scored two goals in 16 appearances. A season later he was thundering in goals for newly-promoted Siena, finishing the season with 12 goals in 30 appearances. He completed a complex move to Roma in 2012, completing a meteoric rise to Serie A prominence.
With a total of 65 matches and 33 goals in all competitions, Destro suddenly finds himself shut out of the Giallorossi starting lineup. In a recent interview with the magazine Undici the Italian alluded to a January departure, claiming someone his age needed to play as much as possible. The comment confirms Destro’s intentions to either force his way back into Roma team, or move on. There already is interest from other Serie A clubs, but his ambition could take him abroad.
A long-term admirer of his are English Premier League side Chelsea. The London-based club hold the 23-year-old’s ability in high regard, and would be well placed to meet any valuation Roma set. With Fernando Torres now off their books, Chelsea are free to survey the market for a suitable back-up to Diego Costa.
The only issue being that Destro does not want to be a back-up, he wants to be a first team player. He may find such an arrangement difficult to come by at Chelsea; in fact, the situation could be the same for several of England’s big teams.
Both Manchester clubs have excellent strikers, but Arsenal and Liverpool could entertain the idea of welcoming Destro to England. In truth a move to the Premier League would present a major risk for the the Roma striker. Just as both Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci have struggled to adjust since leaving Serie A, Destro could find himself in unfamiliar territory with the weight of expectation on his shoulders. There are few who doubt his quality and certainly believe he is up to the challenge, but to leave Italian football would be shunning the easy option out for Destro.
Indeed Serie A has been the home for Mattia Destro throughout his career as a professional footballer. He knows the league like the back of his hand and is capable of scoring against any team, as his track record has already proven.
It stands to reason that he would continue striving for greatness in the country of his birth, but ensuring he is with a club that can provide first-team football and a chance of silverware. Both Milan clubs are destinations that fit this criteria, as both club would happily accommodate the striker in their starting lineups.
There is every chance Destro could stay at Roma, a club which he’s shown a great deal of passion and commitment to. Either way, in the midst of all the reports and speculation of the January transfer window, the Italian needs to make his decision.
Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156
