Umar Sadiq is a man in high demand across Europe. The Almeria striker, at the moment taking part in preseason preparations with the rojiblancos, has drawn admiring glances from a number of clubs.
This groundswell of interest is a direct consequence of his outstanding La Liga 2 form over the last two seasons. Since moving to Andalusia, Sadiq has averaged over a goal every other game, making 74 appearances in total for Almeria. Last season, his tally of 18 (27 goal contributions in total if assists are taken into account) propelled the club into the top flight for the first time in seven years.
The upshot of this is that Almeria can negotiate from a position of strength, and to boot their bullish owner Turki Al-Sheik is far from hard up for money. They have been categorical in their stance that only a fee up to €35 million would be enough to prise their leading man away. The player is himself open to the idea of continuing to work with Rubi, who as manager has invested a lot of faith in him.
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With more than a few teams in the running for Sadiq’s signature, here is what we know so far, in no particular order.
Villarreal
The most concrete interest so far is from the Yellow Submarine. Unai Emery is, by all accounts, a huge fan of Sadiq, and is keen to bring him to Estadio de la Ceramica.
However, there is a snag: the Champions League semifinalists have an assortment of strikers on their roster (Arnaut Danjuma, Gerard Moreno, Boulaye Dia, Jose Luis Morales, Paco Alcacer), and so will need to move some out in order to make room for Sadiq.
Per Fabrizio Romano, Danjuma has attracted interest from West Ham this summer, and while the Hammers would have no compunction with paying top buck for the Dutch international, there has been no agreement on personal terms. The player is also not desperate to leave. Alcacer has been in poor form and is out of favour under Emery, and has been asked to find a new club.
At the moment, the most concrete move to thin out that forward line comes in the form of a possible loan move away for Dia. Serie A side Salernitana are interested in the Senegal international, but Villarreal would rather sell the striker outright, and would want to include a mandatory buy option in any potential loan deal.
If Dia or Danjuma (or maybe even both) were to depart, it would open the door for Villarreal to make their move for Sadiq.
Sevilla
Sevilla hold perhaps the longest-standing interest in Sadiq, but they consider the fee quoted for the player to be prohibitive.
Monchi, who is Sevilla’s sporting director, has a prior acquaintance with the striker from their time in Serie A with Roma, and neither Youssef En-Nesyri nor Rafa Mir has thoroughly convinced leading the line for Julen Lopetegui’s side.
The Moroccan dipped last season, falling short of his levels from the previous campaign, and Mir has yet to truly put his stamp on the team as the centre-forward. It is telling that Sevilla’s title challenge faltered on draws – their inability to score goals ultimately cost them dearly.
As such, it is easy enough to understand the fascination that Sadiq holds. However, barring a reduction in the asking price, they may well fall short and turn their attention elsewhere. Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos is a potential alternative.
Valencia
The most recent club to indicate an interest in Sadiq is Valencia.
Los Che always seem to be in a state of flux though, and more importantly, their financial position at the moment is not the strongest. Barring a sudden windfall, it is difficult to envisage them being a serious player in the Sadiq market.
Atalanta
The Serie A side actually made a bid for Sadiq, per La Voz de Almeria. Their offer of €18 million was rejected out of hand, but Atalanta are still keen on the striker.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side had a somewhat underwhelming campaign last season, falling below their usual standard of excellence. In order to get back on that track, they are looking to freshen up their attacking sector.
Striker Duvan Zapata, 31, is attracting interest from newly-rich Newcastle and could be on the move. Should he depart, it is widely expected that La Dea will return with an improved offer for Sadiq.
Getafe
After avoiding relegation by the skin of their teeth last season (one point was the border between them and the bottom three), Getafe are eager to avoid another struggle to stay afloat. Key to that ambition will be boosting their firepower: only bottom club Alaves scored fewer goals.
It is easy to see the attraction then, and so far the club have made two offers, worth €16 million and €20 million, to Almeria for the player. Both approaches, predictably, were rebuffed.
Real Sociedad
In the same bracket as Valencia, albeit with a less dire financial situation. The return of Alexander Sorloth following the expiration of his loan spell means there is room to bring in another striker to partner Alexander Isak.