But at 25, the former Albiceleste U20 international is ready to play matches of this caliber, as Agustín Muzzupappa, Argentine journalist and San Lorenzo specialist, explains to us. “In Argentina, Gattoni is a well-respected footballer. He did very well in San Lorenzo. He was captain quite young (at 23, editor's note) and knows how to play in a 4-man defense but also in a 3-man defense. He also showed himself to be very mature for his age. As for his characteristics, he is good in aerial duels, he is fast and difficult to pass. It therefore stood out and managed to be sold in Europe. This is not so common in Argentina compared to recent years. As far as I am concerned, and I also speak for the San Lorenzo supporters, there is however a little annoyance because he forced his departure six months before the end of his contract. He did not want to extend so that the club could sell him better. It was therefore sold for 1.5 million euros even though it was worth triple that at the time”.
Despite this mixed start, the defender belonging to Sevilla has not been forgotten by the Argentine club. “When we learned that the Andalusian club intended to loan him, there were expectations in Argentina about a possible return to his training club because he failed to be replaced by a player of his level. He is clearly missing in San Lorenzo. Finally, we learned that Sevilla wanted him to continue his career in Europe to adapt and then be able to get him back. Here, Anderlecht is the best-known Belgian club thanks to Nicolas Frutos and Lucas Biglia. So we said to ourselves that it could be a good option for him,” continues Agustin Muzzupappa.
Mercato: Ramos, the Pope and Aragorn, who is Gattoni the new defender of Anderlecht
According to the Argentine journalist, Gattoni just needs rhythm to show the extent of his talent. “His beginnings with us were complicated. He was already standing out among young people and was going to play in the U20 World Cup with the Albiceleste but he suffered a rupture of his knee ligaments. Then there was the pandemic and we didn't play football for more than eight months. During his debut with the first team, at the end of 2020, he showed a more than acceptable level but he was not at the level we expected. We then learned that he had back problems and did not play for several months. As soon as he recovered from his physical problems, he found rhythm and transformed himself into the leader of his defense. With a little patience, he can reach a very good level!”
A level that all the purple people hope to see this Saturday at 8:45 p.m. during a crucial trip to Limburg.
