“He Is Someone We Are Monitoring”

Written By Onyeka Daniel

It is looking very likely that latest sensation for the Italian national team, Daniel Maldini will be a much talked about name in the upcoming transfer window, probably in the summer than in the January transfer window as more clubs join the train of interested clubs in the young talent who recently made a name with the Azzurri recently.

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After it was reported that Inter Milan and Juventus were monitoring him for a possible transfer, another club has joined the queue, this time, going as far as confirming their interest and this would definitely play into the hands of AC Milan who still has a percentage cut on any transfer fee that Monza gets for him.

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Atalanta director Luca Percassi, confirmed reports that they are ‘watching’ the young Maldini, noting the Italy international is an ‘enormous talent.’ The attacking midfielder is a product of the Milan youth academy, the son of club legend Paolo and grandson of former player and coach Cesare. However, he struggled to get playing time with the Rossoneri.

Eventually, he was sold to Monza effectively for free, as long as Milan receive a 50 per cent cut of his sell-on fee. He has scored one goal and provided one assist in seven Serie A games this season, earning him his senior Italy debut in the Nations League. Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of the Serie A match against Verona, Atalanta director Percassi was asked about rumours of their interest in Maldini.

“He is a young lad with enormous talent, heralding from a prestigious family that represented the best of Italian football, so naturally Atalanta are watching him. We’re happy he is doing well, but hope he doesn’t do too well in his next match, seeing as it is against us! “He is someone we are monitoring.” Atalanta’s next Serie A game is the midweek round against Monza.

But Maldini remains in doubt after sustaining a shoulder injury. He had already been linked with a possible move to Bergamo in the summer, before he signed for Monza. In a related development, Atalanta coach, Gian Piero Gasperini has reached an impressive landmark as he took charge of the team for the 400th time against Hellas Verona at the Gewiss Stadium in Serie A.

Currently, he is the longest-serving Serie A coach by a five-year margin, has been at the helm in Bergamo since the summer of 2016. Simone Inzaghi is currently the second-longest serving coach in the division, having been in charge of Inter for three years and three months, followed by Fabio Pecchia at Parma and Alberto Gilardino at Genoa.

Gasperini has accomplished plenty of accolades during his time in charge of La Dea, including multiple Champions League qualifications and a run to the Coppa Italia final, but nothing thus far tops the 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final back in May. During his eight-and-a-bit-year spell in charge of Atalanta, Gasperini has brought a record of 1.78 points per game in Serie A. That record is made up of 206 wins, 93 draws and 100 losses.

Atalanta have scored 770 goals in all competitions under Gasperini’s reign and have conceded 479 across the same period for an average of 1.93 goals scored per game and 1.2 goals conceded. 123 different players have turned out for Atalanta during Gasperini’s tenure. “This is his ninth season with us and I think that’s almost unique in Europe,” Atalanta director Luca Percassi said.

“As a family, we are very fond of the coach, as he is with us. I think today is his 400th match with Atalanta and if we are achieving these figures, it means we’ve done something truly significant.” There could be further celebrations for Gasperini next week as well, as he has been included on the Ballon d’Or shortlist for the coach of the year award.

But he will have to contend with the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, Pep Guardiola, Lionel Scaloni and Luis de la Fuente. Mateo Retegui and Ademola Lookman got two each as Atalanta took out their post-Celtic frustration on Hellas Verona with a thumping 6-1 scoreline. It took six minutes to break the deadlock against an opponent that had been in the top four at some point this season.

It was from the efforts of their Nigerian forward, Lookman, who got down the left and rolled across for Marten de Roon to come sweeping it into the roof of the net with the inside of the right boot from just inside the box. Moments later, Lookman again ran into the box and his effort was deflected into the path of Mateo Retegui to score from the same position as the first goal.

After a great reaction save on Lookman, De Ketelaere curled a magnificent left-foot finish into the far top corner from just inside the box. Lorenzo Montipò finger-tipped the Retegui header over the bar, but could do nothing when Lookman dribbled into the area and dummied a shot at the far post, instead drilling into the near bottom corner.

Atalanta were simply enjoying themselves at this point, as Lookman started the move for 5-0 from midfield, then was ready to tap in when Ederson’s pull-back from the left was beyond De Ketelaere in the six-yard box.Verona had a rare foray forward moments later, as Amin Sarr’s scorcher hit the inside of the far post in his first Serie A start, but the offside flag went up.

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He got his goal soon after with a ferocious finish into the far top corner to give Verona some consolation. After the restart, Lookman’s back-heel sparked a give and go with De Roon, the Nigerian’s strike deflected onto the crossbar. Retegui also completed his brace running onto the De Ketelaere slide-rule pass to control and fire into the roof of the net from six yards.

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