Atletico Madrid have been living off the goals of Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata this season, but increasingly it looks as if they already have their number nine of the future. After the failed Mathues Cunha move, Memphis Depay was brought in to compete with Morata, but Samu Omorodion looks as if he will be the long-term answer to the position.
The 19-year-old signed from Granada for €6m in August a week after his senior debut against Los Colchoneros, and has gone from strength to strength since. Loaned out to Alaves, Omorodion has started around two thirds of their games, and scored 9 goals, assisting once. His goal contributions are better than one per every two games, and he is their top scorer in an impressive season for the Basques so far.
It is no surprise that his combination of pace, power and movement has shown up on the radar of Europe’s top clubs. According to Matteo Moretto, enquiries were made about Omorodion in January from Serie A and the Premier League.
However he explained on The Daily Briefing that this interest is in vain, with Atletico Madrid not open to a sale. His release clause is somewhere between €80m and €100m, and perhaps most importantly, the player himself is keen to triumph at Atletico Madrid. Omorodion is already looking forward to working under Diego Simeone, and his mind is set on making things work in Madrid.
Still erratic with his finishing, Omorodion has nevertheless been a breath of fresh air for Alaves, giving them a vertical threat few teams have managed to deal with. It would be no surprise to see Omorodion alongside Morata in the Spain squad in the next 12 months, as he offers a unique profile in La Roja’s ranks.
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