As the son of one of the most recognisable coaches in world football, Giovanni Simeone has found making his own way in life tough. The son of Diego Simeone, ‘Cholito’ has often been typecast as the same all-or-nothing warrior that his father was. Yet they are extremely different on and off the pitch. Though Simeone junior carries the same dagger between the teeth mentality of his old man, he is a forward first and foremost. His technical abilities probably outstrip his father, too.

He also lacks the same ‘pazza’ spirit that embodied much of Simeone’s time in Italy. However, he has, like his father, a habit of making life difficult for Juventus. So, when reports earlier in the summer arrived linking the Verona striker to Turin, they were quickly shot down. A child who was raised in the jersey of Internazionale, after all, is highly unlikely to appear in the colours of Juve.

However, what is clear is that this summer will see several sides fighting it out for the younger Simeone. As the most accomplished of the sons of Simeone, reports in Spain suggest a fight-out between Sevilla and Villarreal for the forward. Given he scored an impressive 17 goals and set up five more for his teammates, Simeone is one of the few forwards in Italy to break twenty goal contributions.

Moving to Sevilla would, for the most part, make sense. The Andalusians are on the lookout for a new forward, someone who can compete with the current striking pool and add more depth, physicality, and power. The loan of Anthony Martial was a waste of time for all involved, so Sevilla will look to sign a player with something to prove this summer. Could Simeone be the one?

Following in the footsteps of his father?

So far, Simeone has not played for any clubs that his father played for. Sevilla, though, was an emotionally important stopping point for Diego. Therefore, the chance to retrace the steps of his father, play for a team in the UEFA Champions League, and be a key protagonist to their attack would make a lot of sense. He would also be moving to one of the best cities in Europe, offering a glamorous lifestyle and a competitive sporting project.

Villarreal, though comfortably more provincial in size than Sevilla, can also offer a grand attacking project. The Yellow Submarine are, along with Atalanta of Italy, one of the pound-for-pound best teams in Europe. Joining them would make a lot of sense, though they cannot offer European football. There is also the spectre of trying to replace Gerard Moreno, one of the best forwards in La Liga.

For the most part, a move to Spain with Sevilla ticks the most boxes. Other teams in Italy are keen to try and make a deal happen, though, so there is sure to be a bidding war for the player. A fee of at least €20m would be required to see Verona sell-up.