As the 2024/25 campaign edges closer to the New Year and the reopening of the transfer window in January, a number of European divisions are beginning to take real shape when it comes to potential title winners and relegation candidates and that is always the case as the half way point approaches.
Whilst the Italian Serie A has some intriguing battles of its own again this year, the Premier League continues to loom large particularly when it comes to rumour mill speculation, and it is again being suggested that the division will be raided as some English sides look to strengthen for their second half of the campaign.
With Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta seeing his side occupy fourth place in the table after their more recent title tilts, they will be looking to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool in the coming weeks and with only six wins from their opening 12 games, goalscoring has again been highlighted as a priority for them.
Reports across Europe have long linked them with having a potential interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, but as the New Year nears it seems increasingly likely that they will miss out on both of their top targets and it is now being claimed that they are keeping a far closer eye on Atalanta talent, Mateo Retegui.
The 25 year old talent now has 18 full Italian caps to his name despite initially coming through Argentina’s ranks, but having impressed at Genoa in the 2023/24 campaign, he has fully justified Atalanta’s decision to show some faith in him with a 28 million Euro move over the summer and has now returned 14 goals in 19 games across all competitions.
Naturally, a return like that is always going to provide potential suitors at different clubs and in different leagues, and it remains to be seen on whether or not Arsenal would in fact be willing to part with the kind of fee that would now be needed to tempt his current club into doing a deal, particularly in light of the form he is in and the fact that at the time of typing they occupy second place and are only a point shy of league leaders Napoli.
Given their own chances of domestic success, a current valuation would clearly have him as a starting point at around the 60 million Euro ballpark, and they would undoubtedly be hoping for even more than that.
Any potential bidding war would only play into the Italian sides hands further here, and French Lique 1 side Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be sniffing around his services.
It could make for an interesting January at the Stadio di Bergamo.
