If we look at the latest transfer rumours, it seems that everyone is talking about the same strikers: Viktor Gyökeres, Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, and Nick Woltemade.
It all makes sense, given that those names are usually linked with the big clubs.
But it’s also interesting to see what’s happening with the striker market outside of the big names.
We all know that big clubs aren’t the only ones who need strikers—medium, small, or weak clubs also need them.
Reports and rumours about it might not be making headlines, but a few European strikers could be of interest to clubs who don’t have much cash or are looking to save on transfers.
This article wouldn’t be specific to the younger ones either.
This list includes players who are currently at the top of their game in terms of age, so the market is pretty competitive.
Again, not every club focuses on the young or potential.
Sometimes, the one that fits into their budget is already over 23.
There’s nothing wrong with it, as long as the player matches their needs and style of play.
In the current market, there are many rumours about strikers who are being linked with big names.
Here are some budget-friendly strikers who could be an option for small or poor clubs in the top four European leagues.
Lucas Stassin Scout Report
It’s interesting to see there’s still no move for Lucas Stassin.
Reports said that West Ham United were interested in him, but the deal might still be a bit far off.
The situation’s a bit special, because Stassin’s side, Saint-Étienne, have been relegated to Ligue 2.
Stassin is just too good to play there, so it really makes sense that he’ll move to another club.
The report about West Ham said his price tag is around €19.5m, while Transfermarkt shows his market value is €18m.
That number is actually pretty reasonable, considering Stassin is only 20 years old and scored 12 goals and collected five assists in Ligue 1 last term.
The underlying numbers showed that Stassin underperformed his expected goals from last season, totalling 8.02.
His xG per 90 is just 0.36, too, which is lower than many of the top strikers in Ligue 1.
However, he loves to shoot from around the penalty spot, which makes it more likely that his shots will hit the target; his success rate is 59%.
I do think his decision-making could be better because sometimes he forces shots when the angle isn’t quite right.
He’s got the potential to be a good striker, though.
When I watched his game, he showed that he can find the right moment to get past his marker, either with his pace or technique, and find the free space in the penalty area.
As a striker, the Belgian international often dropped to become a wall to receive progressive passes, then pass to nearby players to ensure his team’s progression continued.
The former Anderlecht player also knows how to exploit the opponent’s press.
When he dropped, he knew he could make one opponent follow him, which would cause disorganisation or create a gap.
He would then use his speed to get into a position where he could shoot.
And, of course, there are some flaws in his game.
It’s pretty clear that he puts his foot too heavily on the ball when he first touches it.
This means he can’t turn his body quickly enough to face the other team’s goal, or it just forces him to pass the ball as quickly as possible.
He was still pretty lean and weak, especially as a tall striker.
He had a hard time facing duels, on the ground or in the air.
His ratings for last season’s offensive and aerial duels were 26.7% and 19.3% respectively.
However, all of those issues can be addressed, especially when he finds the right team to assist him with nutrition and understanding how to utilise his body effectively through movement and combat.
He’s only 20, but he has a lot of potential and could be a good option for a middle-low class team in the top four European leagues.
Lucas Stassin Pizza Chart 2024/2025
Roberto Piccoli Scout Report
This one’s a bit more expensive than the last one.
Cagliari just activated the buyout option, and they have signed Piccoli from Atalanta for €12.5m.
Roberto Piccoli played on loan with Cagliari from Atalanta last season, scoring 10 goals in Serie A.
So, if anyone wants to buy him, they’ll have to negotiate with Cagliari and probably pay more than €15m.
Well, that still seems like a lot for a middle-of-the-road club in a league like the Bundesliga or La Liga, but Piccoli is actually worth the risk if a team wants to buy a real target man.
He’s not a striker who’s all over the pitch doing many things, but he’s solid as a target in the penalty area.
However, that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of doing other things.
He showed he can drop back to be a wall when his team faced solid or compact defences last season, to open up space or help the team progress.
He might not be the fastest striker around, but the 26-year-old has the guts to challenge the opponent in the sprint duel if he spots a gap to run into.
That goal against Bologna is a perfect example.
Piccoli got the ball near the halfway line, and when he saw that Bologna’s defence was all over the place, disorganised, he ran right into it.
But when he saw two players in front of him, blocking his shooting line, he sent the ball to the wing and continued running to the penalty box.
He ran from the marker and got the cross in a free space to score with a powerful header.
This is just typical of his style of play.
The best thing about Piccoli’s game is that he knows where to be to receive the ball, especially when it comes to heading the ball in the air.
So it’s no surprise he scored with a header against Inter Milan last season.
He was top of Serie A for headed goals last term.
Also, in 2024/2025, he actually expected to score more goals, or, in other words, he underperformed his xG.
Wyscout data showed he had 13.82 xG last season, the sixth highest in the league.
He’s got the spot to take shots, but he might need to work on his shooting accuracy.
Also, last season was the only one where he scored double-digit goals, so you’ve still got to wonder how clinical he is.
But there’s a chance that if he finds another team that could give him more chances to cross the ball or better passes, he could be more dangerous than before.
Roberto Piccoli Pizza Chart 2024/2025
Daniel Mosquera Scout Report
This one’s also from Serie A, but I promise you, it’ll be way cheaper.
Per Wyscout, Daniel Mosquera‘s market value is just €700K.
Well, that was the amount that Hellas Verona paid for him to Colombian club CD America last summer.
So, his actual price might be double that—and it’s still really cheap.
Mosquera is 25, but last season was only his first in Europe.
Many people might not be familiar with his style of play, especially since he only scored five goals in Serie A last season.
But basically, Mosquera interested clubs can expect a physical, strong striker who’s good in the air and can take a lot of shots.
Despite only scoring five goals, he registered 9.52 xG, so the underlying numbers show that he could be a double-digit goal scorer in a top league.
He really needs to work on his finishing.
Some of his shots last season should have been goals, but they weren’t because they were either off target or he wasn’t shooting from the right angle.
Mosquera also tended to take a shot early, so his position and the result weren’t great, even though he had the chance, with his pace and power, to move further to find a better position and moment.
If he and presumably a new club can sort out those things, Mosquera could be better than last season with Verona.
He’s got the potential to be a real handful up front.
First, he knows how to make a run, especially to the space behind the opponent’s defensive line or to escape from the opponent.
He’s great at duels, both on the ground and in the air.
He won over 35% of his duels in both terms, and he’s also one of the forwards with the most aerial duels won in the league.
This ability made Mosquera a great choice for a team that wanted to play more directly with long balls.
This sequence could be a good example.
The goalkeeper sent a long ball straight up front, where Mosquera was running in to receive it.
He won the aerial duel, heading the ball forward to his teammate while he continued his run to the penalty box.
He then arrived without any pressure and finished in a small box just in front of the goalkeeper.
Mosquera needs to build on this trademark.
He also needs to work on his first touch, which is sometimes not great.
If teams are looking for the cheap version of Romelu Lukaku, Mosquera could be the guy.
Daniel Mosquera Pizza Chart 2024/2025
Adriano Bertaccini Scout Report
A striker who can score 20+ goals in the Belgian Pro League is usually going to cost a pretty penny, but Adriano Bertaccini is probably not one of them.
He’s only 24 and scored 21 goals in the league last season, but he’d still cost about €15m.
Even his market value is only €4.5m.
There could be a few reasons for that, but the fact that Bertaccini has been playing for St. Truiden and not one of the big names like Genk, Union St. Gilloise, Club Brugge, or RSC Anderlecht means he doesn’t qualify for the “Belgium-tax”.
He’s only 1.73 meters tall, which some teams might see as a disadvantage for a striker.
But last season, he showed he could win 38% of his defensive duels.
That number, for example, is more than what Tolu Arokodare, who also scored double-digit goals and was linked with a €25m move to AC Milan, had last season.
Bertaccini also scored three headed goals.
As a striker, he’s good at finding space to position himself away from opponents.
He’s quick to make early moves or in the duel sprint against the defenders.
Bertaccini is pretty flexible, too.
He can usually play as a central striker, but he’s mostly used as a winger or second striker, either next to or behind the number nine in the team’s formation, like 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1.
Bertaccini would be an excellent choice for a 4-4-2 team, especially as a striker who plays a more mobile role or has free roam of operation space rather than staying in the penalty box most of the time.
His shooting map shows that he loves to shoot in the half-space area, but he also scored goals in the centre inside the box, where the value is high.
He can create his own shot with a cut-inside style or dribble, but he’s also comfortable enough to be a target in the box.
He also scored some bangers, too.
The thing with his shooting is that sometimes he takes too much time before deciding to hit the ball.
So, it might be an issue if he faces more responsive defenders, but this could also be fixed.
Generally speaking, the player who’s eligible to play for Belgium and Italy, also outperformed his xG last season.
He scored 21 goals, including some penalties, from 16.65 xG, which is a big overperformance.
So, if last season is his outlier, Betaccini is still doing well for his price if you consider him a striker with a 10-15 xG ratio in a league bigger than Belgium.
Adriano Bertaccini Pizza Chart 2024/2025
Conclusion
This is a short list, and extending it to eight or ten wouldn’t be difficult.
It’s just to provide a quick overview of the striker market outside of the big names linked to top clubs and widely reported by many media outlets.
There are a few names out there that might not be at the top of everyone’s list, but they could be of interest to medium or small clubs in the top four European leagues.
Take, for example, these four strikes on this list.
They each have their own pros and cons and are also from different age groups.
But they’re generally pretty affordable strikers and have skills that could be useful to other clubs.
We’ll have to wait and see where the rest of the summer takes them, or if they’ve decided to stick with their current club.
So, now’s the time for any interested clubs to make a move.
