Atletico Madrid Pushes Ahead to Sign Giacomo Raspardori from Napoli

Atletico Madrid is expected to bring in an eighth new player this summer, and Napoli striker Giacomo Raspardori appears to be their target. Atletico Madrid had previously approached Ademola Lookman, Matías Fernández-Pardo, Takefusa Kubo, and Roberto Piccoli, among others, but it appears they will ultimately opt for the Serie A champion.

This was revealed by Matteo Moretto. He stated that after negotiations between Atletico Madrid and Napoli last week, Atletico Madrid has decided to try to sign Raspardori. The 25-year-old has reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid and has agreed to the transfer.

What role will Raspardori play at Atletico?

Raspardori made 29 appearances for Napoli last season, scoring 6 goals and providing 1 assist, but only 14 of those appearances were starts. Raspardori can play behind the striker, centrally, or on the left side of the attacking half, and prefers to cut inside to create chances and intercept passes.

He will likely feature as an off-the-recruitment in Diego Simeone’s starting XI, and he will now have multiple options behind Alexander Sorloth and/or Julian Alvarez, with Thiago Almada, Antoine Griezmann and Raspadori all in similar positions.

Transfer fee negotiations are still ongoing

A deal with Napoli may prove more difficult. While Napoli is keen on a deal and is willing to facilitate negotiations, it seems unlikely they will meet their €30 million asking price. Reports on the matter conflict, with Calciomercato claiming their offer is €25 million plus bonuses.

According to Football Italia, Napoli has made a €22 million offer, with €3 million available if Atletico Madrid qualifies for the Champions League, plus an additional €1 million in cashable bonuses. Meanwhile, Moretto further stated that Raspardori’s offer is only €22 million.