#3 Andrea Belotti – Torino
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Preferred position: Striker in 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2
Market value: €100m (buyout clause)
Overshadowed by Paulo Dybala at Palermo, Belotti has stood out for Torino, becoming the 2nd youngest player in club’s history to reach 30 goals. He has scored 22 goals so far in the League, 9 more than his total amount last season, being the current Serie A top scorer ahead of Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus) and Edin Dzeko (Roma).
Torino’s chairman Urbano Cairo, one of the most influential Italian publishers, reached a new deal with his rising star at the beginning of the season, agreeing to a buyout clause of €100M. Just a few weeks after, he revealed to have rejected a €65M offer by Arsenal. After Belotti netted a hat-trick against Palermo, Cairo looked worried: “This clause could be too low now. It should have been €150M”, he said.
(Video Courtesy: Giovadieci Calcio/Football YouTube Channel)
His nickname (Il Gallo, The Rooster) tells us more about himself. It’s dedicated to a close friend of him, Juri Gallo, who bet with Andrea that he would have scored before a game a long time ago. Andrea did it, inaugurating his original celebration, with the right thumb leaning on his fronthead and the other fingers turning rapidly, as it was his crest. It is also a tribute to his rural roots and the habit he had when he was a child, to run after chickens.
Proving himself to be a modern striker, he looks at ease in different systems of play. Being a superstar hasn’t affected his humility, Belotti has remained connected with his background: “One of the most satisfying moments of my career was when I signed an important deal and finally could tell my mum: ok, you can stop working right now. I couldn’t accept to see her coming home so tired everyday.”
Former Torino manager and current Italy coach, Gian Piero Ventura, trusted him last year and considers Il Gallo one of the most valuable players of the national team now.
Antonio Conte didn’t call him for the last European Cup but he has been impressed by the evolution of Belotti. Diego Costa might be on his way to China way next summer and in that case, be sure that Antonio Conte will consider to pay the buyout clause to Torino to attract The Rooster to Stamford Bridge.
