According to Caught Offside, Arsenal are considering signing a striker as they need to strengthen the offensive line. While they have been linked heavily with Viktor Gyokeres, the English club have identified Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui as an alternative to the former.
Mateo Retegui is enjoying his time at Atalanta
Mateo Retegui started his career at River Plate before representing multiple clubs in the years to come. He finally landed at Atalanta this summer as a replacement for his countryman Gianluca Scamacca, who suffered a ligament injury.
Retegui took no time to adapt and has already started hitting the ground. He has already netted 11 goals and provided three assists in just 17 outings so far. He is averaging 2.6 shots, 0.8 key passes, and 0.2 dribbles per game (stats via whoscored).
The Italian striker offers adaptability, physicality and aerial dominance in the final third. He is a killer finisher inside the penalty box and also exploits the spaces well. He often involves himself in the build-up play and gets into the right positions.
Mateo Retegui can be a valuable addition
Arsenal were linked to multiple centre-forwards but boss Mikel Arteta trusted his existing resources. However, things aren’t going smoothly for his side this season so far. They are fourth on the Premier League table with 9 points gap already.
The Gunners are notably struggling to score goals as the form of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus hasn’t been really great. Hence, the club are considering signing a striker to secure more goals upfront.
The first name on Arsenal’s wishlist is Viktor Gyokeres. However, his signing will be tough to execute considering his high release clause and demands. On the other hand, Mateo Retegui’s pursuit will be much easier and financially feasible.
The Italian will come for around €50 million although one needs to consider whether he will fit well in Arteta’s system or not.
