Genoa coach Alberto Gilardino admits the prospect of losing both Mateo Retegui and Albert Gudmundsson on the eve of the Coppa Italia opener was ‘unexpected for me and the club.’
The Grifone officially open the 2024-25 season on Friday evening against Reggiana in the first round of the Coppa Italia.
However, they will be without star striker Retegui, who is undergoing a medical with Atalanta for the €25m transfer today, and Gudmundsson is on the verge of a move to Fiorentina.
“Naturally, on a purely technical level, I cannot be happy right now, but it was so quick, immediate and unexpected for me and the club,” Gilardino told news agency ANSA.
“I won’t get into the details of the club finances, I can only talk about what is under my control, which is the players I have at my disposal.”
Gilardino wants clarity from Genoa
While Retegui has already left, Gudmundsson is down to the final details of his negotiations for the Fiorentina switch.
“Everyone knows Albert’s situation. I told the club we need to know in the space of a week who is really in this team. We’ve got the Coppa Italia tomorrow and then next week Serie A fixtures begin.
“I am well aware of the transfer market and the difficulties around that, but I need to know who will be at Genoa this season. At the same time, I hope this evolution will be sped up.”
If Genoa finished mid-table last season, their first following promotion from Serie B, a large chunk of that was down to their two now out-going strikers.
Gudmundsson was the club’s top scorer with 14 goals and four assists in Serie A alone, while Retegui netted seven and set up two.
“Retegui and Gudmundsson are very important on a technical level. Having said that, I tell the fans to wait and draw their conclusions once the transfer window is over. Keep calm and have patience,” added Gilardino.
“I have great faith in the directors, we are in constant contact over the players who are available and potential replacements. Once the window has closed, then we can evaluate and understand what the real objectives for the season are going to be.
“We want to remain competitive, I know there are high expectations and 28,000 season tickets sold. We will be very clear once the transfer market is shut.”