Retegui off to flying start in Saudi Arabia after €65m transfer away from Atalanta

Originally posted on Football Italia | By Peter Young | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 9:02 AM ET

Mateo Retegui got off to an ideal start in his first league match with his new club Al-Qadisah, netting a brace in an eventual 3-1 victory over Al-Najma on Saturday.

The Italy international left Atalanta after one season earlier this summer to join the Saudi Pro League outfit in a deal worth €65m plus add-ons.

His sale is the second most expensive in Serie A so far this summer, second only to Victor Osimhen and his €75m move to Galatasaray.

How Retegui got on during Al-Qadsiah debut

The 26-year-old found the net just five minutes into his competitive Al-Qadsiah debut on Saturday, and then grabbed a second five minutes into injury time at the end of the second half to claim his debut brace.

Ali Jasim, who left Como earlier this week, was on the scoresheet for the visitors.

Despite concerns over his eligibility for the Italy national team at the time of his transfer to Al-Qadsiah, the Argentine-born striker has still been included in Gennaro Gattuso’s first squad since being appointed CT.

This article first appeared on Football Italia and was syndicated with permission.

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