Genoa president Enrico Preziosi has spoken on the ongoing and growing interest in the Grifone’s star man Krzysztof Piątek.
“There’s no release clause, I never usually include one. Negotiating with me is free, if a club wants one of my players then we can sit down and talk and I’ll tell them, “this is the price, do you want him?”
“I don’t know Piątek’s price yet and for now I’m not answering the question, Piątek is crucial for Genoa and I have to think about Genoa. Of course I’m not going to delude anyone, we know that someone will take him away because he’s a superstar and they’ll multiply his salary by 10. He’ll benefit, Genoa will benefit and then we’ll focus on Andrea Favilli. We’re already inundated with phone calls from Italy and Europe, all from top clubs. Those who want him will have to be serious and talk to me, anything else will be considered malpractice.”
He proceeded to discuss how he came about signing the 23-year-old.
“I don’t remember who Cracovia were playing but I remember where I watched it: in my house in Ibiza. It was late May, with just me, the TV and no-one else. I have a way of evaluating my players, I need to be alone without being influenced.
“He was a striker who had everything: right foot, left foot, aerial ability. And he was always where the ball arrived. Always.
“I got up from the couch and called Giuffrida and said: ‘I’ll take him’, then I said to sporting director Giorgio Perinetti: “we need to go to Krakow immediately.” The next day it was all done. That’s the way I am, you can make a mistake or misstep but I don’t like to wait.
“The €4.5m we paid seemed like a fair and honest price. I bought him for Genoa, not to sell him on again.”