Italian striker Andrea Belotti, once a top target for Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea, is now available on a free transfer. The 32-year-old's career has seen a dramatic decline since his days at Torino, where he had a £87m release clause.
Rise to prominence
Belotti made his Serie A debut at 20 with Palermo before moving to Torino in 2015, where he established his reputation. He scored a career-high 26 league goals in 2016/17, narrowly missing out on the Capocannoniere award to Edin Dzeko.
Midway through that season, he signed a contract extension with Torino that included a €100m (£87m) release clause, applicable only to clubs outside Italy.
Release clause concerns
Toro president Urbano Cairo publicly expressed concerns that the clause might not be enough to deter Premier League interest, with United, Arsenal, and Chelsea circling.
"When I included a €100million release clause in Belotti's contract, somebody thought it was an excessive fee, now they think it's not enough," Cairo told Tuttosport in 2017. "I think nobody will come here to trigger his release clause and it would be better for him to stay for one more season at Torino."
Striker's self-assessment
Belotti himself admitted he didn't feel he was worth such a valuation. "To be honest, no [I don't feel I am worth it]," he told Mediaset in April 2017. "But given the way the transfer market has developed, increasingly ridiculous sums are being spent. The cost of players has gone up far too much."
Despite the doubts, Belotti remained productive, reaching double figures in each of his first six Torino campaigns and featuring in Italy's Euro 2020-winning squad.
Decline and free agency
He left Torino in 2022 with exactly 100 league goals. Since then, his career has faltered: he failed to score a single league goal in his debut season at Roma and has managed just 22 goals in over 140 appearances for four clubs across Italy and Portugal.
Now 32, he spent last season at Cagliari but was limited to eight appearances due to a serious knee injury. Italian reports suggested he was set to rejoin the Sardinian club, but the move fell through after he failed a medical.
His international career is over, with no caps since June 2022. That £87m release clause is now a distant memory.
