Who is Giovanni Simeone? All you need to know about Tottenham’s new target
Since the inception of the summer transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur have become the first team to not sign a single player during that time. But according to The Sun, Spurs were interested in signing Giovanni Simeone, the Fiorentina forward who had a breakthrough season last year.
He scored 15 goals and provided 5 assists in all competitions. One of his most influential games was against Napoli last season, where he scored a scintillating hattrick to beat them 3-0 and effectively end the Serie A title race.
Background
Giovanni Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, was born on 5th July 1995 in Madrid, Spain. He joined the world-famous River Plate academy as a youngster. He was promoted to the first team at the age of 18 but the youngster failed to make an impact.
He was soon loaned to another Argentine club, Banfield, where he scored 12 goals in 34 games. This was enough for Genoa to purchase him and lure him from Argentina to Europe. Despite being under pressure to perform because of his family name, Giovanni adapted well in the Serie A. He started 29 games for Genoa in the 2016/17 season and scored 12 goals.
Ultimately, he joined Fiorentina and the transfer has proven fruitful for the club as his goals helped them finish 8th in the previous campaign.
Playing Style
Giovanni is a striker by trade but his intelligent movement off the ball is truly remarkable. The fact that all his goals came from inside the box in the league last season proves his ability to escape his markers effortlessly. He opened his account for the current season by scoring an injury time goal as Fiorentina won 6-1 against Chievo Verona.
What does the future hold?
For now, the U23 Argentine striker will stay in Italy with Fiorentina but The Sun reported that Atletico Madrid were interested in the player.
However, if Tottenham want the striker, they must act fast in the January transfer window. Although Harry Kane is numero uno for Mauricio Pochettino, the arrival of Simeone would provide some much-needed competition. Spurs already have Fernando Llorente as a backup striker but the 33-year-old is not a reliable deputy.
Moreover, the knock-out rounds of the Champions League and the FA Cup will force Pochettino to rotate his squad. Hence, Spurs must definitely go all out to sign the talented Giovanni Simeone once the window reopens in January.
