Al Qadsiah has reached an agreement to acquire Retegui from Atalanta for 82 million USD, according to Sport Italia on 9/7. The Saudi Arabian club will pay the Serie A top scorer a salary of 23.5 million USD per season, six times his previous earnings.

Retegui (right) scored 28 goals across all competitions for Atalanta in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: Reuters

Retegui (right) scored 28 goals across all competitions for Atalanta in the 2024-2025 season. Photo: Reuters

Last summer, Atalanta acquired Retegui from Genoa for 23 million USD. In the past season, the 26-year-old forward became the Serie A top scorer with 25 goals in 36 matches, helping his team finish third. He also scored three goals in the Champions League, contributing to the team's advancement to the play-off round.

Retegui will be the second most expensive player sold in Atalanta's history. The record still belongs to Rasmus Hojlund, who moved to Man Utd in 2023 for 89 million USD.

Retegui rose to prominence while playing for Tigre in his native Argentina. In 2023, he chose to play for the Italy national team, the birthplace of his grandparents. That same year, he moved to Italy to play for Genoa for 16.5 million USD. Retegui scored 9 goals in 31 matches for Genoa and 6 goals in 20 matches for the national team.

Al Qadsiah joined the Saudi Pro League in 5/2024. Last season, they finished fourth with 68 points, just two points behind Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr. Al Ittihad won the championship with 83 points, while Al Hilal finished second with 75 points.

Michel, former Getafe manager and Real Madrid legend, has been coaching Al Qadsiah since 2023. Al Qadsiah also boasts former Real Madrid defender Nacho (Spain), goalkeeper Koen Casteels (Belgium), midfielder Equi Fernandez (Argentina), forward Julian Quinones (Mexico), and forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon), who previously played for Arsenal and Barca.

Thanh Quy (Sport Italia)