Torino would prefer to sell Andrea Belotti to a foreign club rather than a Serie A rival, with Torino Granata providing a major boost to the hopes of Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.
You can probably understand Il Granata’s stance.
Belotti, after all, is a living legend at the Stadio Olimpico, the seventh-highest goalscorer in the club’s history with 104 strikes in 221 games.
Did we mention the Italy international is also the influential captain of a Torino side glancing nervously over its shoulder at the relegation zone and is the club’s best hope of avoiding the drop?
With that in mind, it’s no wonder Davide Nicola’s side can’t begin to think about the prospect of selling Belotti to a top-flight rival – an Inter, Napoli or Roma.
According to Torino Granata, Torino owner Urbano Cairo would much rather deal with a club outside Italy. Of course, he would rather not sell at all but, with Belotti’s contract expiring in 2022, that ship appears to have sailed.
Earlier this month, Corriere Granata claimed Tottenham and West Ham are interested in the powerhouse number nine. Everton were also linked but, since then, Carlo Ancelotti has played down reports suggesting a new number nine is at the top of his summer wish-list (Guardian).
Speaking in October 2020, just hours after the summer window slammed shut, Torino director Davide Vagnati confirmed Tottenham had held talks with Belotti.
The Serie A outfit got cold feet back then but, if Spurs come calling again with an offer in the region of £35 million, they may have no choice but to accept defeat.
“Belotti is one of the best strikers in Europe”, Fabio Capello said, via Goal.
“He knows how to move. He basically knows how to do everything. He’s fast, technically skilled and is probably better than (the legendary Gabriel) Batistuta.”
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