You may remember that last time, I promised that there would be an article on why Chelsea had been so dominant in the Premier League of recent times, however following their defeat to Tottenham in midweek, the article now seems a little redundant. So, instead today's post will be a little guide to the man who Sky Sports reported today was subject to a rejected £56 million bid from Arsenal, Andrea Belotti. As he may be somewhat of an unknown quantity to many, this piece will look at who he is, why clubs are interested in him and finally what the news of this bid means for Arsenal.
Who is Andrea Belotti and why are clubs chasing him?
Belotti is a 23 year old, 5'11'' Italian striker who plays for Serie A club Torino. He was born in Calcinate, Italy on December 20th 1993, and began his youth career in 2003 at Grumellese before joining Serie B club AbinoLeffe in 2006. He made his AbinoLeffe debut on March 10th 2012 and went on to make 38 first team league appearances and scoring 14 goals over two years. At the start of the 2013-14 season,then-recently relegated Serie B side Palermo signed Belotti on a co-ownership deal. Whilst at the Sicilian side, Belotti helped Palermo return to Serie A, scoring 10 goals in 24 league games in his first season. He spent one year with Palermo in Serie A, appearing in every one of their 38 games, scoring 6 goals. In the summer of 2015, he was signed by Torino for 7.5 million Euros and scored 12 league goals in 35 games in his debut season.
Whilst these stats aren't too shabby, it's Belotti's performances this season that have seen him gain interest from top European clubs like Arsenal. In the 16 league games that he's played in this season, Belotti has managed to rack up an impressive 13 goals, including his first career hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Bologna in August. This scintillating form has seen him called up 5 times to the Italian senior national team since August, and in these 5 appearances he has already managed to score 3 times. This, when added to his 33 other youth side appearances (scoring 15 goals), gives him an impressive international resume for a man of just 23 years of age.
Torino have recognised that Belotti is a top talent, and accordingly, in December the club tied him down until 2021 with a new contract that contained an 100 million Euro buyout clause for foreign sides. However, it does seem that the Italian side will have a tough time keeping hold of the young striker who, as a versatile forward capable of playing anywhere across the front line, is already being compared to compatriots Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Boninsegna due to his strength, quality of movement and deadly finishing. These comparisons have no doubt attracted many suitors from across Europe, which makes the emergence of this reported bid seemingly unsurprising. But in reality, the bid may not be good news for Arsenal...
What is the significance of the rumoured bid from Arsenal?
Despite Belotti's obvious quality, the £56 million bid from Arsenal that was reported by Torino's Sporting Director Gianluca Petrachi, is still shocking and potentially bad news for Arsenal fans. This is because, if it turns out that there was in fact a bid from Arsenal at around the £50 million mark, then it seems likely that Arsene Wenger, a usually shrewd manager, has become resigned to the likelihood of Arsenal star, Alexis Sanchez, leaving the club. Sanchez has only 18 months left to run on his contract, and this has been a major point of worry for all Arsenal fans, who recognise that Sanchez has been Arsenal's star player for the past few seasons and that without his attacking contributions and tireless work ethic, the North London club would be far worse off. If it is true that the player himself is looking for a big money move to China or to join a club that he believes would see him win more trophies such as Juventus or Manchester City, then the huge bid for Belotti would make sense. Either way, there is definitely cause for concern for Gunners' fans.
In summary, Belotti is an emerging star in European football, and interest in him was inevitable after a string of impressive performances this season. However, a potential bid from Arsenal may not be indicative of the beginning of the big money spending that for so many years Arsenal fans have yearned for, rather it may be a sign that the club are preparing to lose their talisman in Alexis Sanchez, and have began to chase a potential replacement. Either way it promises to be an intriguing January transfer window.
Thanks for reading,
James
Like the blog on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquestionofsport/
Who is Andrea Belotti and why are clubs chasing him?
Belotti is a 23 year old, 5'11'' Italian striker who plays for Serie A club Torino. He was born in Calcinate, Italy on December 20th 1993, and began his youth career in 2003 at Grumellese before joining Serie B club AbinoLeffe in 2006. He made his AbinoLeffe debut on March 10th 2012 and went on to make 38 first team league appearances and scoring 14 goals over two years. At the start of the 2013-14 season,then-recently relegated Serie B side Palermo signed Belotti on a co-ownership deal. Whilst at the Sicilian side, Belotti helped Palermo return to Serie A, scoring 10 goals in 24 league games in his first season. He spent one year with Palermo in Serie A, appearing in every one of their 38 games, scoring 6 goals. In the summer of 2015, he was signed by Torino for 7.5 million Euros and scored 12 league goals in 35 games in his debut season.
Whilst these stats aren't too shabby, it's Belotti's performances this season that have seen him gain interest from top European clubs like Arsenal. In the 16 league games that he's played in this season, Belotti has managed to rack up an impressive 13 goals, including his first career hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Bologna in August. This scintillating form has seen him called up 5 times to the Italian senior national team since August, and in these 5 appearances he has already managed to score 3 times. This, when added to his 33 other youth side appearances (scoring 15 goals), gives him an impressive international resume for a man of just 23 years of age.
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| Belotti's form means that many top clubs may soon come calling. |
Torino have recognised that Belotti is a top talent, and accordingly, in December the club tied him down until 2021 with a new contract that contained an 100 million Euro buyout clause for foreign sides. However, it does seem that the Italian side will have a tough time keeping hold of the young striker who, as a versatile forward capable of playing anywhere across the front line, is already being compared to compatriots Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Boninsegna due to his strength, quality of movement and deadly finishing. These comparisons have no doubt attracted many suitors from across Europe, which makes the emergence of this reported bid seemingly unsurprising. But in reality, the bid may not be good news for Arsenal...
What is the significance of the rumoured bid from Arsenal?
Despite Belotti's obvious quality, the £56 million bid from Arsenal that was reported by Torino's Sporting Director Gianluca Petrachi, is still shocking and potentially bad news for Arsenal fans. This is because, if it turns out that there was in fact a bid from Arsenal at around the £50 million mark, then it seems likely that Arsene Wenger, a usually shrewd manager, has become resigned to the likelihood of Arsenal star, Alexis Sanchez, leaving the club. Sanchez has only 18 months left to run on his contract, and this has been a major point of worry for all Arsenal fans, who recognise that Sanchez has been Arsenal's star player for the past few seasons and that without his attacking contributions and tireless work ethic, the North London club would be far worse off. If it is true that the player himself is looking for a big money move to China or to join a club that he believes would see him win more trophies such as Juventus or Manchester City, then the huge bid for Belotti would make sense. Either way, there is definitely cause for concern for Gunners' fans.
In summary, Belotti is an emerging star in European football, and interest in him was inevitable after a string of impressive performances this season. However, a potential bid from Arsenal may not be indicative of the beginning of the big money spending that for so many years Arsenal fans have yearned for, rather it may be a sign that the club are preparing to lose their talisman in Alexis Sanchez, and have began to chase a potential replacement. Either way it promises to be an intriguing January transfer window.
Thanks for reading,
James
Like the blog on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquestionofsport/
