Monaco have reportedly leapfrogged Fiorentina in the race to sign outgoing Torino captain Andrea Belotti this summer. As per Calciomercato, the Ligue 1 giants have come up with a three-year contract offer for the coveted striker.
Belotti is out of contract at the end of the month. He will leave Torino after seven years, most of which he spent captaining Il Toro. The Italian’s initial decision was to stay in his homeland and preferably link up with Milan.
However, the newly-crowned Serie A champions have other priorities at the moment. It paved the way for Fiorentina to interfere and sign Belotti as a replacement for Dusan Vlahovic. But La Viola’s hesitation could fire back on them now.
Monaco have approached the striker to discuss a potential deal. Les Monégasques have offered Belotti a three-year contract. It would also allow the Rooster to feature in next season’s Champions League qualification.
But Belotti has thrown Fiorentina and other Italian suitors a lifeline. He has reportedly taken some time to consider his options before handing Monaco a response. Foreign admirers, such as West Ham United, are also in the running, though.
In 251 competitive appearances for Torino, Belotti tallied 113 goals and 28 assists. Over the past seven years, not many Serie A strikers have been superior to him. Yet, last season was not as good as expected.
A couple of injury setbacks restricted Belotti to a mere 22 league outings. It proved enough for only eight goals as he experienced his worst season at Torino. It was, in fact, the first time he failed to hit double digits in a single Serie A campaign.
Several options are on the table, but it’s up to Belotti to decide. His imminent departure will leave a substantial gap in the front third. With Gleison Bremer also on his way out of the club, Torino fans are not having the best of times.