President Enrico Preziosi says Genoa have 'the new Messi' as he discusses Andrea Bertolacci, Domenico Criscito, M'Baye Niang and others.
The Grifone boss was interviewed by Gazzetta TV and found an opportunity to discuss many of his most outstanding players, along with one allegedly exceptional prospect.
“The next Messi? He's already in Genoa, and he's called [Pietro] Pellegri,” said Preziosi.
President Enrico Preziosi says Genoa have 'the new Messi' as he discusses Andrea Bertolacci, Domenico Criscito, M'Baye Niang and others.
The Grifone boss was interviewed by Gazzetta TV and found an opportunity to discuss many of his most outstanding players, along with one allegedly exceptional prospect.
“The next Messi? He's already in Genoa, and he's called [Pietro] Pellegri,” said Preziosi.
“He's 14 and he plays for our youth team. He's an extraordinary kid, but I hope he doesn't hear me or he'll become full of himself.
“[Andrea] Bertolacci is in a complicated situation because he's still co-owned by Roma.
“We can sign him for good, but there are at least three major Serie A teams that are interested in him.
“Fiorentina asked for him in January too, but we decided not to dismantle our machine.
“[Domenico] Criscito? He has strong bonds with Genoa, but considering his salary with Zenit [St Petersburg] his best option is to stay in Russia, because nobody can match that.
“But we'd be happy for him to come back, because first love is always unforgettable.
“As for [M'Baye] Niang, we had an agreement to keep him, but the lad preferred to keep his ties with Milan.
“We are developing an important player and I asked the Rossoneri for a moral acknowledgment. In all likelihood Milan's Coach [Filippo Inzaghi] couldn't get the best out of him.
“There are many foreign clubs on [goalkeeper Mattia] Perin too. He wants to stay in Genoa and I can hardly think of sending him away.
“[Diego] Perotti, for me, is a stellar player, who can cover many roles on the pitch.
“He can do everything because he is complete. Many had and still have their eyes on him – Roma, Milan and even Juventus.
“But of course it remains to be seen whether he can operate in their particular game.
“[Sebastian] De Maio needs a revision of his contract, because it's currently not commensurate to his value. He too is followed by many clubs, in Italy and abroad, but we can't sell the whole team.
“[Rolando] Mandragora is 18, but he possesses the maturity of a 30-year-old. He still has to grow and we want to keep him so he can affirm himself at the highest levels.
“I think he needs at least another year with us.
“I wouldn't rule out that [Facundo] Roncaglia could stay with us. We have a purchase clause for €4m, but we want to find an agreement with Fiorentina. Perhaps we could add another player to the deal, like [Aleandro] Rosi.
“I'm hoping to keep Roncaglia because he is a very important player for us.”