Terem Moffi beware. When it comes to strikers at Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez is very much the exception rather than the rule.
Since selling a young Diego Costa to Chelsea seven years ago, Mario Mandzukic, Raul Jimenez, Rafael Santos Borre, Luciano Vietto, Jackson Martinez, Kevin Gameiro, Diogo Jota, Nikola Kalinic, Alvaro Morata and Ivan Saponjic have all come and gone.
The fact Morata can be considered the biggest success of them all is a damning indictment, not so much of the players themselves but Diego Simeone’s inability to get the best out of a series of strikers handed one of the hardest jobs in football – leading the line for an Atletico side that considers itself one of Europe’s big boys despite often playing a style of football more associated with Cadiz or Getafe.
Moffi – from Rangers reject to Atletico Madrid?
According to FootMercato, the La Liga champions sent scouts to watch Moffi in action as he scored the only goal of the game in Lorient’s 1-0 victory over Monaco last weekend.
But while Atletico Madrid may feel it’s a golden opportunity to sign a man who was plying his trade in Lithuania as recently as last year, Moffi would do well remember the struggles of Kalinic, Jimenez, Gameiro and co at a side that has often viewed defence as the best form of attack.
Regardless of whether Moffi swaps the south coast of Brittany for the Spanish capital, Atletico’s interest is a reflection of how far the 22-year-old has come in the space of ten months – from a little-known Belgian import to one of the hottest young strikers in Europe.
Moffi, who has also been tipped to replace Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund, scored 16 goals for Lorient last season, including a hat-trick against Bordeaux, two against Marseille and the winner against Paris Saint-Germain.
How much Lorient would demand for their talismanic centre-forward these days remains a mystery.
But you can bet your bottom dollar it would be a lot more than the £4.3 million Rangers refused to pay in July 2020 after the then-KV Kortrijk hitman briefly emerged as a target for the Scottish giants (Het Nieuwsblad).
While the Gers aren’t exactly short of strikers, this is a decision that has aged more like a puddle of spilled milk in the Spanish sun than a bottle of the best rioja.
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