Venezia, El Shaarawy leaning towards rejection. Doubts over Orban as attacking options range from Füllkrug to Rrahmani

Stephan El Shaarawy appears increasingly likely to turn down Venezia FC. The former AS Roma forward represented an opportunity to raise the level of the squad without paying a transfer fee, but for now his chances of joining are fading. His priority seems to be a return to Genoa CFC, though it remains to be seen whether he could change his mind in the coming weeks if a move to the Grifone fails to materialise.

More broadly, Venezia’s plan is to have three recognised centre-forwards, with Andrea Adorante staying as part of the group. The club would then add John Yeboah and a “ready-made” young attacking player capable of dribbling in behind them - with Sky Sport reporting yesterday that Kacper Kozłowski of Gaziantep FK is one such idea.

As for the specialist strikers, general manager Filippo Antonelli wants to give Giovanni Stroppa forwards with different characteristics, allowing him to vary his approach over the course of the season.

To secure survival, Venezia will need real competition up front and cannot afford to rely on the goals of just one player. The idea of Niclas Füllkrug remains alive, although it is far from an easy deal to pull off. The German is under contract with West Ham United, who have also undergone changes at management level, while his salary is significant. In short, negotiations would be required to understand what room for manoeuvre exists.

Speaking of opportunities: would Gift Orban be one? After the altercation with a supporter, his spell at Hellas Verona is over and he will now need to find a new club, perhaps at a more favourable price.

From a technical standpoint, there are few doubts about his quality. The key question lies elsewhere. Beyond the incident involving the fan, Antonelli has always placed great emphasis on dressing-room unity during his time at Venezia. The club need a player who can accept competition and adapt to the environment in the right way. Assessments will therefore be made to understand what kind of impact he could have inside the dressing room.

Far more concrete is the track leading to Albion Rrahmani. Born in 2000 and originally from Kosovo, he is currently at Sparta Prague, who have so far refused to lower their demands and continue to ask for a substantial fee.