The story of Mateo Retegui is a special one. Now it continues for the striker at a bigger club. As expected, Europa League winners and Champions League contenders Atalanta have secured the goalscorer
Mateo Retegui and his Italian national team colleagues certainly had a different idea of this summer’s European Championship. Having started as defending champions, the Azzurri were eliminated early in the round of 16 against Switzerland (0:2). And the 25-year-old striker, who had always dutifully alternated with the initially seeded Gianluca Scamacca (25) during the tournament, ultimately failed to score a goal or provide an assist in four European Championship appearances
A year and a half ago, however, hardly anyone would have thought that Retegui would be involved at all. After all, Retegui was only nominated for the first time by then Italy coach Roberto Mancini in March 2023 – and then scored directly in the European Championship qualifier against England (1-2). Because the goalscorer comes from Argentina and had been under contract with training club Boca Juniors between 2016 and 2023, he was dubbed “the Oriundo pulled out of the hat” at the time.
And now? Retegui was about to take the next groundbreaking step, as reigning Europa League winners Atalanta came knocking on his door. Also because Bergamo’s top striker Scamacca, his direct rival in the Squadra Azzurra, recently suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and will be out for a long time
Argentina, promoted to Serie A – and now? Champions League!
This was ultimately Retegui’s good fortune, who was allowed to make the move to Lombardy for a transfer fee of up to €25 million (€22 million base fee plus bonuses) despite having a contract with his club CFC Genoa that runs until 2027. And can now compete in the top group of Serie A and in the Champions League. He scored seven goals in 29 league games with Genoa, to whom he had only moved last summer for €15 million, and thus played a major role in helping the Serie A promoted side to secure their promotion.
As already mentioned, the now 25-year-old center forward comes from the Boca Juniors academy and initially only played in his home country. In the end, he also played on loan for Club Atletico Tigre, for whom he was top scorer in Argentina’s first division (Liga Profesional) in 2022 with 19 goals in 27 games. In total, Retegui made 103 appearances and scored 40 goals in Argentina’s professional soccer. In an Italian shirt, he has now scored four goals in twelve games
For Atalanta Bergamo under successful coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who has been in charge since 2016 and turned down a tempting offer from Napoli after the recent Europa League victory over previously unbeaten Leverkusen (3:0), Retegui is the second interesting new signing in this summer transfer window: most recently, former international Nicolo Zaniolo (25) was brought in.
