Cue hand-wringing about the state of the modern game; a 22-year-old with no Champions League experience could cost £100m.
Giuseppe Savoldi, the world’s first million pound footballer, has told Football Italia that he believes Andrea Belotti could match Paul Pogba’s transfer fee in the future.
The French midfielder became the most expensive player in footballing history when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus for £89 million in the summer, according to Sky Sports, eclipsing the fee Real Madrid paid Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Gareth Bale two years earlier.
And Torino forward Belotti, who has been heavily linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks, inked a new contract with the Granata until 2021 earlier this week with a release clause of 100 million euros valid only for clubs based outside of Serie A.
But Savoldi, who moved from Napoli to Bologna for a world-record £1.2 million in 1975, believes such a clause will not put off potential suitors, though he believes one of the La Liga giants would be more likely to trigger the fee.
“I think it’s possible. If he continues like this, the offers will come,” Savoldi said in quotes reported by Football Italia. “Torino didn’t make this clause for nothing, they know the young lad can become very strong.
“Perhaps the team that could offer this much would come from Spain, as it is the most similar to our league.”
“He doesn’t excel in one thing because he can do everything, he’s a modern striker.”
The 22-year-old has already netted 10 times in 12 Serie A appearances while becoming the first player in Europe’s top five leagues this season to score at least three times with his right foot, left foot and head, according to Opta.
The Sun reported last month that Arsenal and Liverpool were heading the queue for his signature but, with Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger both publically questioning the need to pay such monstrous sums for players in recent months, it seems doubtful that they would push their clubs to trigger Belotti’s clause.
This is regardless of the fact that both could do with an orthodox centre-forward although Alexis Sanchez and Roberto Firmino have adapted commendably to lead their respective frontlines.
Therefore, Savoldi’s opinion that the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona would be more likely certainly carries weight, with the La Liga duo contributing six of the top ten most expensive transfer fees of all time.
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