2024-07-09 16:48:00
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After a season to forget at Cagliari, where he barely scored 3 times in 23 games played in Serie A, Gianluca Lapadula’s future in the Sardinian team is in the balance. Although Cagliari achieved the goal of staying in the highest category of Italian football, the Peruvian striker’s performances did not convince the board, opening the door to a possible exit in search of new challenges.
Gianluca Lapadula’s performance at Cagliari has been rated as the second worst in terms of goal average in the last nine seasons by the 34-year-old striker. This scoring drought is only broken by his discreet second year at Genoa, where he scored just once in eight games, averaging 0.12 goals per game, slightly lower than the 0.13 he averaged last season. .
| season | Club | PJ | Goals | Average goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lapadula’s figures in Cagliari this season are discouraging, if we compare them to his best scoring records. It is a far cry from the 0.60 goals per game he achieved the year before with Cagliari, a result of 25 goals in 41 games, a fundamental campaign for promotion to Serie A. It is well below the 12 goals in 24 appearances too. he scored with Benevento in the 2021-2022 season, where his average of 0.50 goals per game came close to returning them to the first division.
A word from Italy
In light of the discreet moment that Gianluca Lapadula showed last season with Cagliari, El Comercio spoke to Giuseppe Amisani, a journalist from the newspaper Corriere Dello Sport, to analyze the situation of the Peruvian striker and his possible future in the transfer market, considering that it is. still needed There is one year left on his contract with the “Rossoblu” team.
“Considering that last season was not the best for Lapadula and that he is interested in several Serie B clubs, Cagliari may decide to sell him permanently,” said Amisani. “While he is still an important player, he is not immovable. If a fair offer comes, Cagliari could accept it. In fact, the market is already looking for younger prospects with a better gift than Lapadula.”added the Italian journalist.
It is understood that Gianluca Lapadula could leave Cagliari if an offer comes in. (Photo: Getty Images)
Sports journalist Giuseppe Amisani of Corriere Dello Sport reported that several Serie B clubs were interested in Gianluca Lapadula. Interested teams include Pisa, Cesena, Cremonese, Palermo and Sampdoria. Amisani points out that Sampdoria seems to be the club that has shown the most interest in the player.
Simone Murelli of the Tutto Sampdoria portal confirms Sampdoria’s follow-up to Lapadula. However, he clarifies that the club’s main objective is not in attack: “Sampdoria follow Lapadula, that’s a fact. However, this is not his main purpose, which is still Gennaro Tutino de Cosenza. I think the only way to prioritize Lapadula is if negotiations with Tutino do not come to fruition. The high price and salary he receives in Cagliari could make his signing complicated.”
Series B lies with Lapadula
Throughout his 16-year professional career, Gianluca Lapadula has proven to be a born striker with an enviable scoring instinct. His time in Serie A and Serie B of Italian football confirms this. In the top flight of Italian football, Lapadula played six seasons wearing the shirts of AC Milan, Genoa, Lecce, Benevento and Cagliari. In this league, he has scored six goals per season, showing his best year in 2019-2020 with Lecce, where he scored 11 goals in 25 games.
Although his presence in Serie B is shorter, with only four seasons, his scoring streak is even more impressive: 16 goals in total, which represents an average of four goals per season. His best competition in this league was 2015-2016 with Pescara, where he scored 30 goals in 44 games, a performance that attracted him to AC Milan for a figure close to 10 million euros.
| Tournament | Seasons | Goals every season |
|---|---|---|
Lapadula’s achievements go beyond statistics. He was instrumental in two promotions to Serie A: with Pescara in 2015-2016 and with Cagliari in 2022-2023, finishing on both occasions as the championship’s top scorer. This makes it clear that Serie B is a series that suits the Peruvian starter well, as shown by his numbers and achievements.
At 34 years of age, without offers from Serie A and with the door open for an exit from Cagliari, Serie B is emerging as an ideal setting for the “Bambino” to shine again. His experience, scoring talent and ability to be a main character make him a big piece for several clubs in the league, as mentioned from Italy.
Discreet level with Peru
Gianluca Lapadula’s scoring drought is not limited to Cagliari, but it extends a lot with his performance with the Peruvian National Team. So far in 2024, Lapadula has played six games with the bicolor, accumulating 453 minutes, but he has only managed to score one goal, in a friendly against Nicaragua in March.
On an official level, his last goal with the national team dates back to March 30, 2022, against Paraguay in the Qualifiers for Qatar 2022. Since then, he has not scored in the play-off against Australia, or in qualifying matches 2026 against. Venezuela and Bolivia, than in the recent games against Chile and Canada.
Gianluca Lapadula could not be Peru’s goal man in Copa América 2024 (Photo: AP / Reed Hoffmann)
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This lack of aim also affects Lapadula’s chances of signing for a bigger team or league. His price, according to Transfermarkt, is at the lowest point since 2015, at a value of just 1.5 million euros. The Copa América, a great showcase for players, was not the ideal setting for Lapadula to show his potential, which undoubtedly complicates his market options.
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