Sassuolo will demand a minimum of £25 million for Giacomo Raspadori after Premier League outfit Newcastle United failed with a bid for the Serie A hotshot, CEO Giovanni Carnevali tells Gazzetta dello Sport.
If Roberto Mancini could turn back the clock, perhaps he’d have given Raspadori more than 26 minutes within which to make his mark during Italy’s shock 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia in last month’s World Cup play-off.
Especially when you consider that the pint-sized poacher, who has compared himself to Sergio Aguero, scored twice in a rather futile friendly clash with Turkey a couple of days later.
Raspadori took both of his chances with trademark efficiency that day. And while he’s not exactly prolific in Serie A – he’s scored just 15 times in the last two seasons – that dead-eyed ruthlessness in front of goal certainly paints the picture of a young striker just waiting to explode.
According to Tuttosport, Newcastle failed with a £21 million bid for Raspadori in January. But if the newly-moneyed Magpies are willing to increase their offer, to the tune of just £4 million, then a deal could be within reach.
How much for Raspadori?
“(Raspadori’s price-tag) is the same for all our jewels. It starts at 30 million euros (£25m) and is then evaluated case by case,” says Carnevali, while admitting that Juventus have shown an interest in a player also on Inter Milan’s radar.
“(Juve) already asked us at the end of the 2021 summer window. But there was no time to negotiate and, in the end, they signed (Moise) Kean.”
Newcastle are also reportedly keen on Raspadori’s Sassuolo team-mate Domenico Berardi, the much-coveted winger who shone as Italy won Euro 2020 last year.
Carnevali also confirms that the Magpies have enquired about highly-rated left-back Rogerio.
“Newcastle called us some time ago, it’s true,” he said after the close of the January window.
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“The conditions weren’t there (for a transfer). We give Rogerio a certain type of value and, if the conditions aren’t there, you can’t do it.”
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