What Retegui’s Saudi Arabia move means for Italy national team selection | OneFootball

Mateo Retegui is set to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah in a staggering €67m move from Atalanta this summer, but reports suggest that his move away from one of Europe’s top five leagues will not have a major impact on his availability for the Italy national team.

Reports from multiple outlets on Wednesday evening confirmed that Atalanta have agreed to sell the 2024-25 Capocannoniere to Al-Qadsiah in a deal worth €67m. La Dea had only bought Retegui last summer for a fee of €28m from fellow Serie A outfit Genoa.

The Argentine-born Italy international is also set to earn a massive salary, worth a reported €16m per season.

BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 13: Mateo Retegui of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta and Bologna at Gewiss Stadium on April 13, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

What Al-Qadsiah move means for Retegui and Italy national team

Along with Moise Kean, who had also been subject of an offer from Al-Qadsiah this transfer window, Retegui is one of the go-to centre-forwards in the Italy national team. His impending move away from Europe has raised concerns about his eligibility and future impact for the Azzurri.

However, reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport on Thursday confirm that Retegui is still likely to be a regular member of the Italy national team squad once he moves to the Middle East.

The Pink Paper notes that he, Kean and Gianluca Scamacca are set to be the three regular centre-forwards under new CT Gennaro Gattuso, with Lorenzo Lucca considered a fourth option and Francesco Pio Esposito one to watch for the future.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Gennaro Gattuso, Head Coach of Marseille, looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League match between Brighton & Hove Albion v Olympique de Marseille at American Express Community Stadium on December 14, 2023 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

La Gazzetta dello Sport adds that there are a number of high-profile players currently plying their trade in Saudi Arabia, who are still valued members of their respective national teams, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo, but also including the likes of Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ivan Toney.

La Gazzetta dello Sport also suggests that with a rise in well-established coaches also in Saudi Arabia – Simone Inzaghi, Laurent Blanc and Christophe Galtier among them – national team coaches are not particularly concerned by the tactical standard of the league.