Crystal Palace are thought to be keen on signing Italy international Mateo Retegui this summer.
The Lowdown: Retegui profiled
Retegui is 23 years of age and is currently on loan at Club Atletico Tigre from Boca Juniors. Tigre have the option to buy the player permanently, with Retegui an out-and-out centre-forward.
The player enjoyed a successful Liga Profesional campaign last year, scoring 19 times in 27 games, continuing that form this year with six goals in eight.
The Argentine-born striker actually made his debut for Italy against England on Thursday, scoring in a 2-1 European Championship qualifier defeat. Italy manager Roberto Mancini has praised Retegui, even comparing him to legendary Argentine forward Gabriel Batistuta.
“I can say that he looks like Batistuta when he arrived in Italy. He may need some time to get comfortable, but it won’t be long. He is very smart.
“Coming from Argentina and playing in the national team, not even for a club, is not easy. He is an educated, intelligent, young boy. We have confidence, but we have to give him time. He is a classic centre forward.”
His form appears to have been catching the eye in England, with Selhurst Park seemingly a potential destination for the forward.
The Latest: Palace interest
Sports Witness relayed a transfer update from Corriere dello Sport regarding Retegui, where Palace and rivals Brighton were named.
They claimed that both clubs are interested in the player, with his agent set to fly to London where they plan to hold ‘appointments, meetings and market contacts’ ahead of a possible transfer. The report adds that Tigre plan to spend €2.1m (£1.8m) this summer to sign him permanently before selling him on for a major profit.
The Verdict: Smart move?
Even though Palace are unsure as to who will be in charge of the club heading into the 2023/24 campaign, with Roy Hodgson in temporary charge over the coming months, looking to bring in a new attacker appears to be necessary in the transfer window.
The Eagles are the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 22 goals in 28 games and could lose star winger and top scorer Wilfried Zaha for free when his contract expires in the summer.
Therefore, looking at bringing in someone like Retegui who has been in free-scoring form over the last 12 months appears to be a wise move, however, Palace will know that they will need to remain a top-flight club to stand a chance of securing his services.