UDINE
The race to a striker continues for Udinese and still seems terribly uphill even if the name of Andreas Cornelius, one of the points of Denmark seen at the recent European Championship, where the Scandinavians (who also lined up the black and white Jens Stryger Larsen) left the stage only in the semifinals at the hands of England. Fresh from a season that is anything but lucky with Parma (29 appearances with only one goal to his credit) culminating in the relegation to Serie B which recommended his sale, despite the redemption made by Atalanta last July 1 for 8, 4 million euros, date and amount established at the time of purchase in the summer of two years ago, with one of the typical formulas of the Italian transfer market, where the money runs with the dropper: a two-year loan with obligation to redeem.
Udinese, looking for a center forward-buoy at the Fernando llorente (but physically more reliable than the Spaniard hired last February by Gino Pozzo), took off on Cornelius, finding an agreement with Parma for 5 million euros plus bonuses, a figure however balanced by Trabzonspor, so much so that the ducal club in the hands of the American Kyle Krause immediately passed the ball to the Danish player: it is he who has to choose between the Bianconeri and the Turks who have as an alternative another tonnage point of the Italian championship, Alberto Cerri of Cagliari.
Cornelius, however, is the number one choice of the club in the city of Trebizond and the Turkish media are confident that the deal is really close, even if nothing has been leaked officially so far. The optimism that reigns in those parts is fueled by an indiscretion which, evidently, was derived from the talks with the 28-year-old Danish prosecutor, the compatriot Per Steffensen, given that it is said that Udinese can reach a maximum salary of one million, a figure slightly higher than that received by Stefano Okaka (about 900 thousand euros), an element that would be even more out with the arrival of Cornelius, as confirmed by the rumors about another Turkish Superlig club, Caykur Rizespor, after those about the Red Star Belgrade and the sirens of Arab football. To Udinese’s advantage, on the other hand, Cornelius’ doubts about the Turkish destination for the family, in particular for his pregnant wife. Who will get it? –