According to Football Italia, Rafa Benitez has his eye on Serie A striker Mattia Destro and is ‘keen to tempt him to make the move to the North-East’ this summer.
This is a name we saw tentatively linked with the club over the summer (although who wasn’t!), and there’s new claims from Italy today that Benitez could target him in the summer should he keep us in the Premier League.
Destro has earned 8 caps for the Italian national side, having scored 72 goals in 210 appearances in Serie A, however don’t let that seemingly impressive record fool you (more on that in a bit).
First of, here’s what’s been said in Football Italia this morning:
“It is reported that Newcastle United, Waford and Deportivo la Coruña are all interested in signing Mattia Destro.
“The 26-year-old has scored five goals in 20 appearances for Bologna so far this season.
“However, he has seen his attitude questioned on more than one occasion by Rossoblu boss Roberto Donadoni, who dropped the forward to the bench for the recent defeat to Inter.
“Il Resto del Carino reports that former Napoli and Inter Coach Rafa Benitez is keen to tempt Destro to make the move to the north-east of England.”
Benitez will have extensive knowledge of the Italian league after stints with Inter Milan and Napoli so Destro is no doubt a player he’s aware of – especially given he’s played in Italy throughout his career.
Now back to his goal record. 72 in 210 is impressive on the face of it, however he’s averaged just 8 goals a season in the last three years with Bologna.
Questions over his attitude don’t help either, but it is February so these rumours will be taken with a pinch of salt.
Just incase he happens to be a player we do actually look at in the summer months, here’s some clips of him in action:
