Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Boca Juniors striker Mateo Retegui, as Julen Lopetegui prepares to bolster his squad ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The Spaniard will have a task in restoring the goals in his side, after the Old Gold ended last term as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers, however, the former Real Madrid boss could be onto a winner with reported interest in Retegui.
Could Wolves sign Mateo Retegui?
As reported by journalist Damian Iribarren, Wolves have made contact with an offer of $18m (£14m) for the striker, who is also being chased by Genoa.
The Italian side are reported to have offered a higher sell-on-fee, but the Midlands side could hold the power, with Iribarren claiming that the player ‘preferred’ a move to the Premier League.
Currently on loan at fellow Argentine side Club Atletico Tigre, it will be down to the clubs to decide what destiny would best suit the player.
How good is Mateo Retegui?
Born in San Fernando Argentina, the forward represents Italy at international level, gaining three caps so far for Gli Azzurri.
The 24-year-old has found his feet in South America, where this year he has netted 12 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions, as well as registering a single assist as Tigre’s favoured line leader.
Having once been hailed as a “complete forward” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Italian could be the perfect acquisition for Lopetegui, as he plots a pathway to change his side’s fortune in the final third.
The Italian striker is a name known to some in England already, having netted against the Three Lions in the European Championship qualifiers in March during Gareth Southgate’s side’s 2-1 away win.
Wolves know well the fundamentals of having a reliable source of goals is in relation to overall team performance, with the club finishing seventh in their first two seasons following their promotion from the Championship.
During those two years, the Old Gold experienced the highs of European football thanks to the help of Raul Jimenez’s presence, where the Mexican scored 17 goals in the 2018/19 campaign and 27 in 2019/20.
Since those glory years, the 32-year-old has netted just 13 times in three seasons, attributable to his devastating injury in 2020, where his playing career and life was threatened by a skull fracture.
The adored striker failed to net a single goal in the Premier League last term for Wolves, leaving Lopetegui with little option but to find an appropriate successor to the once-clinical Mexican.
In Retegui, the Spaniard could hire an assured presence in attack, in a player that is live wire in the final third as supported by his 0.5 goals and 3.9 shots per game in the league for Tigres, via Sofascore.
Also likened to former Napoli and Real Madrid talisman Gonzalo Higuain by Kulig, the striker could repeat the scoring feats set by Jimenez in the Premier League, in a streak that could get the club back up the table after the woes of last season's form.
It’s integral that the Spaniard recruits a goal scorer this summer, which he could achieve in a financially friendly deal for Retegui, who at 24-years-old, is showing great potential in Argentina.
