ATLÉTICO MADRID
Atlético Madrid eyeing Petagna as Kalinic replacement
Italian media reports claim that Atlético Madrid are one of a number of clubs targeting Atlanta loanee Andrea Petagna, who has 14 goals for Spal this season.
With Mateo Kalinic failing to make an impact since his move from AC Milan last summer and with Diego Costa’s future up in the air, Atlético Madrid are currently looking to the market for reinforcements in attack for next season.
And according to Italian media reports, the LaLiga club have their eye on 23-year-old Spal striker Andrea Petagna.
Both Sport Mediaset and football-italia.net report that the Italian striker is a target of Atlético as well as several other European clubs – among them, Leicester, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham.
Petagna could cost Atlético 20 million euros
Petagna is on loan from Atlanta, but if 13th-placed SPAL avoid relegation from Serie A (which is now practically assured), the club has the obligation to purchase the player for 12 million euros in June. However, with 14 goals in the Serie A the season, Petagna is set to see his value revised upwards and it is estimated that his signature could cost other clubs around 20 million euros.
Left footed and standing at 1.90 metres tall, Petagna has already made his debut with the Italian national team and there is every indication that he could be on the market this summer.
Atlético’s sporting director Andrea Beta, who has extensive knowledge of the Italian market, could see the SPAL striker as potentially taking on the role of Kalinic, who has had offers from other clubs and is expected to leave the Wanda this summer.