With Gianluca Scamacca facing a potentially lengthy injury, Wayne Girard urges Atalanta not to make an emergency signing, as the necessary players already play in Bergamo…
A short time removed from Gianluca Scamacca’s potentially season-ending injury, Atalanta are holding their breath and awaiting the medical evaluation of their starting centre-forward. Landing awkwardly after a challenge from Parma’s keeper in a friendly, the striker was carted off the pitch while clutching his left knee. Scamacca has suffered a ligament tear, which couldn’t have come at a worse time considering the season is on the horizon, and even earlier, La Dea face Real Madrid in the UEFA European Super Cup in less than ten day’s time.
If manager Gian Piero Gasperini was ticked off during his side’s loss to the newly promoted Crociati, he will be irate if he’s without the one player who works his tactical mechanics in the final third. A confirmed tear for Scamacca, the Orobici will have to completely rework their attack, and even if it’s just short sideline time for Scamacca, Gasperini will have to draw up new options, and could be looking at these three solutions…
Nicolò Zaniolo
The former prodigy is back in Italy after escaping Rome with a move to Galatasaray in Turkey, followed by an unfruitful stint in England with Aston Villa. Now 25-years-old, Atalanta seems like a last chance to display his talent at a European level. Almost always deployed as a wing-forward, you have to go back to the 2021/22 season for a time when he was anything but pigeon-holed to the touchline.
During that season, the first of Jose Mourinho’s at Roma, Zaniolo often found himself as the deepest attacker, providing space and big chances for Tammy Abraham. When checking to receive the pass, he showed more than proficient holdup strength and combined with his teammates. At 1.90 metres, Zaniolo could be a massive help to his team as a striker, and just might find himself in a consistent new role.
Gasperini hasn’t ruled out the possibility, recently stating “That is an option I am certainly giving thought to, I’m curious to see if it will be possible.”
CDK pushed up
Even taller than Zaniolo, Charles De Ketelaere is now fully owned by La Dea – a no brainer after his first season with 14 goals and 11 assists. Floating between both flanks, CDK scored way above his league xG (7), was strong in the air, and showed great reactionary skills inside the box. He teed up Ademola Lookman a plethora of times when the two played as more traditional right and left forwards. If Gasperini does deploy both of them together again, he may not even need the spearheading centre-forward type that Scamacca is, but would benefit from a more mixed system.
Atalanta’s buildup usually features De Keletaere as the top of the passing triangle when in deep possession, together with a defender and midfielder. When entering the middle third, CDK narrows with the attacking midfielder and other striker. Gasperini can continue with this arrangement, but if he has to place the Belgian higher up the pitch, it could create problems when trying to build out from the back.
Mercato after Scamacca injury
If the Italian tactician does want to keep up with the traditional forward type, there are several options available in free agency. Anthony Martial would be a good fit, but would command a high wage. Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting could also play a role the way Luis Muriel did, considering he’s now 35-years-old.
This seems the worst option of the three, because it would mean that a player comes in very late into the transfer window, without having ample time to learn Gasperini’s disciplined system. It also takes a certain player to mesh with the 66-year-old, and a rushed purchase could just mean a waste of time and resources.