Krstovic remains at the center, Lecce looks around

LECCE: Roma is eyeing Nikola Krstović, who is also interested in the Roman club. The Montenegrin is on the list Giampiero Gasperini gave to Frederic Massara to strengthen the attacking line and partner Artem Dovbyk, but formal negotiations with the Salento club have not yet begun.

Furthermore, according to the "Atalanta Oggi" portal, which closely follows the affairs of the "Dea", the Orobic club's officials are also ready to pounce on the Lecce center forward, following Mateo Retegui's transfer to Saudi Arabia's Al Qadsiah side, which brought in around €70 million. Part of the fee earned for last season's top scorer will reportedly be reinvested in the Montenegrin.

While we wait to see if the Nerazzurri club will target Krstovic (though the squad is said to be larger and also includes Georgian Georges Mikautadze, currently playing for Olympique Lyonnais, and Irishman Evan Ferguson of Brighton, who are curiously also being linked with Roma, as well as Lorenzo Lucca of Udinese and Adam Daghin of Salzburg), what is certain is that Gasperini is very interested in the Montenegrin and that the striker is happy with his move to the capital. A photo of the youngster wearing a Roma jersey has also been circulating, and rumors are that discussions with his entourage are at an advanced stage, so much so that rumors are circulating of a very attractive fee and a four-year contract.

But, as we all know, you can't do things without a host, and in this case, the "host" is Pantaleo Corvino, Lecce's technical director, who clarified his thoughts on Krstovic: "There are strikers in Serie A who have scored and provided fewer assists than the Montenegrin and are valued at €35-40 million. To please the player and meet his ambitions, we are willing to ask for something less than his value, but without going beyond certain limits."

In short: anyone who wants to sign Krstovic will have to budget a significant outlay. Otherwise, don't even show up because it won't happen. Moreover, to avoid any misunderstanding, when discussing Roma players targeted by other clubs, Corvino reminded us that, in football, agreements are made by three parties: the person seeking to acquire him, the player and his entourage , and the club that holds the player's contract.

In short, Roma or Atalanta, if there was any need, have been warned: to shop in Salento, they must satisfy Lecce's demands, which, according to Corvino and president Saverio Sticchi Damiani, "are in good health and have no need to sell their prized assets." For this reason, the Roman and Orobic clubs are also evaluating other prospects.

It's possible that one or both clubs will submit their offer to Lecce for Krstovic, offering a significant fee but also a technical counterpart. From this perspective, it will be necessary to determine whether Corvino and sporting director Stefano Trinchera are interested in the players their colleagues will be bidding on to match the Salento club's asking price. Leeds United remains in the background, having initially pursued the Montenegrin, even making an offer (admittedly far from Lecce's valuation), but then decided to wait for a while, as Krstovic apparently wants to stay in Italy, with a team playing in European competition.

However, it's not out of the question that, should the existing options in Italy fail to materialize, Leeds will return to the fray, hoping the youngster will reconsider the opportunity. There's also, albeit more nuanced, interest from Sporting Lisbon, who could sell striker Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal and who recently signed midfielder Morten Hjulmand from Lecce, who quickly became a key figure in the Portuguese side.

In this context, after securing Francesco Camarda from AC Milan (on loan with an option to buy for €3 million and a buyout option for €4 million, as well as a whole series of bonuses for each appearance and goal), Corvino and Trinchera cannot, in turn, make a move to sign the center forward who will replace Krstovic if (as most insiders assume) he is sold. In this regard, the hottest name remains that of Kevin Carlos, 24, from Basel, who has been circulating for a few weeks now, joined by those of Thimoté Nkada, 25, from Rodez, and, more recently, Willem Geubbels, 23, from St. Gallen.

It's therefore a question of patience and strong nerves, even if everyone at the club on Via Colonello Costadura would like to allow Eusebio Di Francesco to work, in retreat, with a group that will change only slightly until the start of the championship.