Reports emerging from Italy indicate that national team striker Mateo Retegui is on the verge of completing a significant transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Qadsiah. The move involves figures that underscore the continued financial power reshaping the global football landscape.
According to sources, the deal for the player is valued at approximately €68 million net, including bonuses, payable to his current club. (While initial reports from the source document specify Atalanta as the recipient of this fee, it is widely understood that Genoa CFC, Retegui`s current team, would be the party receiving such a substantial windfall from a sale).
The player himself is set to sign a substantial four-year contract. This agreement is reportedly worth €16 million annually in salary, supplemented by an additional €4 million per year in performance-related bonuses. Should Retegui see out the full term of the agreement in Saudi Arabia, his total earnings from the contract could potentially reach €80 million.
A key factor in finalizing this lucrative transfer appears to have been the player`s explicit desire to make the move. Al Qadsiah reportedly sweetened their offer by extending the proposed contract duration from three to four years, a move seemingly designed to secure Retegui`s “definitive, irrevocable will” to switch clubs.
This transfer represents another high-profile departure from European football to the burgeoning Saudi Pro League. For Al Qadsiah, a club newly promoted to the top flight, signing an established international striker of Retegui`s caliber with such a significant investment signals serious ambition ahead of the new season.
The Italian headline accompanying this news, referring to “Retegui d’oro” or `Golden Retegui`, seems particularly apt. Beyond the player`s potential value on the pitch, the sheer scale of the financial package involved—both the transfer fee and the player`s contract—is undeniably golden, at least from an economic standpoint. For Retegui, it marks a significant career pivot, trading a pathway in European leagues and cups for a new challenge, measured perhaps less by traditional sporting accolades and more by the shimmering standard of euros.
The deal, once confirmed, will further cement the Saudi Pro League`s position as a major player in the international transfer market, capable of attracting prominent talents with extraordinarily compelling financial incentives.