EL CHOLITO MOVES TO TORINO
El Cholito says goodbye to Napoli: a new challenge with Il Toro
One of the greatest symbols of Napoli’s recent success is changing allegiances. Giovanni Simeone, two-time Italian champion with the Azzurri, is leaving the city after three seasons and is embracing a new adventure in Italy’s top division. His destination is Turin, where manager Marco Baroni will be able to count on an experienced forward, hungry for redemption, and ready to take up an important role in his new side.
El Cholito’s exit is undoubtedly part of Napoli’s attacking reshape, but it is also a masterstroke for Torino who are adding a proven goalscorer to their roster. Simeone will be joining new arrivals Zakaria Aboukhlal and Cyriel Ngonge, promising deeper attacking options.
From Buenos Aires to Serie A with the net in his sights
El Cholito is the eldest son of Diego Simeone, an icon of Argentinian football and current Atlético Madrid manager. Giovanni was born in Buenos Aires and learned to play football with River Plate. He made his debut with Los Millonarios, winning the league and one CONMEBOL Sudamericana, before then making his mark at Club Atlético Banfield: twelve goals in 36 appearances brought him to the attention of European clubs.
In Summer 2016, it was Genoa who invested and brought him to Italy. He immediately adapted in Marassi: 12 league goals and he gave the impression of a forward who was ready for the biggest of stages. The following season, he moved to Fiorentina, where he bettered his record (14 goals in 38 matches). In his second year with La Viola, he was slightly less prolific (eight goals in all competitions), and thus, Simeone decided to pack his bags and head to Sardinia. In Cagliari, he formed a formidable strike partnership with Joao Pedro and got his taste for goal back, scoring 12 in his first year, before six in his second season and then deciding to move once again, this time to Verona. He truly found his footing with Hellas: in the 2021/22 season, under Igor Tudor, he scored 17 goals, four of which came in a historic performance against Lazio, also bagging a hattrick against Venezia. That was his individual peak in Serie A, and as such, Napoli called.
Napoli: dreams, Scudettos and the bench
Simeone joined Spalletti’s Napoli to achieve a dream: to play and score in the Champions League, a wish that he has tattooed on his arm. The 2022/23 season was a memorable one: Napoli won a historic Scudetto and El Cholito made his mark with four league goals, including two key ones against AC Milan and Roma. He was even stronger in Europe: four goals in seven appearances, achieving a target that he had been dreaming of ever since he was a little boy. In the following years, however, he was relegated to the role of reserve, behind Osimhen first of all, and then Romelu Lukaku. The numbers speak loudly: just five goals in all competitions in the last two seasons. Hence why he has made the decision to turn over a new leaf and to get back playing for a club that may guarantee him higher priority.
What Simeone can bring to Torino: goal-scoring instinct and hard work
Giovanni Simeone has 73 goals and over 20 assists in Serie A, a league that he knows perfectly well after playing for five different teams, competing for relegation safety and title triumph. Torino are welcoming a mature forward, capable of moving between different attacking roles and gifted with true goal-scoring instinct. He is a great centre-forward in the box, but also a selfless, mobile player who is key in the build up. His grit and dedication to work make him a role model in the dressing room. His impeccable timing and towering leap are two of his main gifts, and this shows in his heading ability: 27 of his goals are scored with his head, 20 in Serie A, despite being rather average height (180cm). His clinical nature in front of goal and human qualities are greatly appreciated by managers: Simeone is a team man, radiant and constantly dedicated, as shown when coming on from the bench for Napoli with his warrior mentality. ****
Torino’s new attack: Simeone at the heart of Baroni’s project
Torino have recently had solid seasons, yet they have suffered from not being prolific enough in front of goal, ending the season among the worst-attacking records with both Jurić and Vanoli. The addition of El Cholito could be a turning point for Baroni’s attack. Simeone could work alongside a powerful striker like Duván Zapata, expected to return after a lengthy absence, offering an additional or alternative option to Ché Adams, Torino’s top goalscorer last year. The club’s hope is that, with belief and consistency, Simeone can return to his best goalscoring form in Italy. There is no lack of motivation: Torino have been looking for a goalscorer, and El Cholito is determined to be that man. (Photo Torino FC + Getty Images)