Mateo Retegui is not one to hesitate when making a decision. When Roberto Mancini called in March to inquire if he would consider playing for the Italian national team, the striker didn't need to ponder. He immediately said yes. Born and raised in Argentina, Retegui had never lived in Italy nor did he speak the language. However, within days, he marked his international debut with a goal against England in Naples. This choice altered the course of his entire life. At 23, playing for Tigre on loan from Boca Juniors, Retegui was not on the radar of most European scouts. He scored 23 goals across all competitions in 2022, yet there were doubts about his potential. His parent club declined to bring him back at the end of the year, and Argentina's manager, Lionel Scaloni, was indifferent to Retegui's decision to play for Italy. Representing the Azzurri and scoring in his second international game against Malta opened new opportunities. Several clubs in Italy and Spain showed interest, but Genoa swiftly signed him in the summer of 2023. Retegui scored seven goals in his debut Serie A season. There was little consensus on his talent, as he scored once every 318 minutes, a decent return for a player adapting to a new continent and a club that had just returned to the top tier. He continued to feature regularly for Italy, but was this due to his performances or the country's lack of options? Mancini, who resigned and took the Saudi Arabia job last August, lamented the shortage of attacking talent. Retegui failed to score in four appearances before Italy's exit from Euro 2024 in the last 16. This was also the case for Gianluca Scamacca, who alternated with Retegui at centre-forward. Scamacca's injury provided Retegui with another significant opportunity. On August 4, Scamacca ruptured his cruciate ligament during a friendly for Atalanta against Parma. Four days later, Retegui signed for Atalanta. An intermediary interrupted his training at Genoa, saying, 'Get your things, we need to go to Milan for a medical.' Another quick decision, another good one. Not everyone believed Retegui would fit naturally at Atalanta, who reportedly paid €22m plus bonuses. Scamacca was a target man, crucial to Atalanta's fourth-place finish and Europa League win last season. Retegui is a different type of centre-forward, focused on getting into the penalty box. Atalanta needed to reshape their attacking approach to maximize his talents. For other teams, this might seem challenging so close to the start of a new season, but not for Gian Piero Gasperini. The manager's ability to retool is no secret. Atalanta has undergone at least three distinct eras since Gasperini took charge, from a top-four team built around Papu Gómez and Franck Kessié, to Champions League quarter-finalists powered by Duván Zapata, Luis Muriel, and Josip Ilicic, and now their first-ever European trophy, earned by new heroes including Scamacca, Teun Koopmeiners, and Ademola Lookman. This summer presented additional challenges before Scamacca's injury. Centre-back Giorgio Scalvini also suffered a cruciate ligament injury, Koopmeiners was sold to Juventus, and Lookman missed the start of the campaign amid transfer rumors. Integrating Retegui could have been another headache, but the striker made it look easy. After a cameo in Atalanta's Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid, Retegui started against Lecce and scored twice in a 4-0 win. He scored again in the next game against Torino. Not everything was perfect. Atalanta lost that second match before being thrashed 4-0 by Inter. Yet Retegui scored another goal in a 3-2 win over Fiorentina and, despite missing a penalty in his Champions League debut against Arsenal, the fans' singing of his name spoke volumes. Their appreciation has only grown. Retegui scored again as Atalanta won 2-0 away to Venezia on Sunday, his eighth goal in eight games, making him Serie A's top scorer. This goal showcased opportunism and finesse. Retegui capitalized on Antonio Candela's hesitation to claim a bouncing ball outside the box, then lifted a close-range chip over the goalkeeper. The variety of ways Retegui has scored is impressive. He has already scored three headers, more than Scamacca managed in the entire last campaign. The other five goals include strikes with both feet and even a couple of assists. 'Retegui is showing great value,' said Gasperini. 'He still has room for growth but technically he is doing really well... he arrived here very determined and the few things we've asked him to do, he has put into practice on the pitch right away.' How much credit goes to the manager? Gasperini has adapted his tactics, developing a 3-4-2-1 formation where Lookman and Charles De Ketalaere share wide spaces with Atalanta's wing-backs, allowing Retegui to focus on getting into the box. Yet, the striker has also seized his opportunity more confidently than many predicted. Last season, he showed he could trouble defenders with his physicality and direct running combined with excellent instincts close to goal. But the technical quality mentioned by Gasperini has not always been as apparent. Retegui almost scored sooner on Sunday, controlling a 60-yard pass with his first touch before running through to fire just wide of the far post. Retegui told La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this month that he hadn't found a place to live in Bergamo, yet in every other sense, he looks more at home in Italian football. His form has carried over to the national team, scoring against Belgium and Israel in Nations League games this month. 'He's a very serious lad,' said Italy manager Luciano Spalletti last week. 'Inside the box, he is lethal. And now he has learned how to connect with the team better. He's going to become a top player.'
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