The first part of Retegui's career has been a fascinating one, with plenty of sliding doors moments that have opened at the right time for the Italian international.
Those moments, it must be emphasised, have been seized by the in-form striker, who has done superbly well to turn criticism into fuel for motivation.
Just as all top forwards in the world have a knack for finding the net, Retegui has developed a clinical cutting edge in the final third, needing only half a chance to score.
The first manager to put their faith in him, as far as his time in Italy was concerned, was Roberto Mancini, who went all the way to Buenos Aires to find a suitable striker for his side. Very few knew who Retegui was or how he played.
He immediately rewarded Mancini, although a few months after his arrival in Italy, the former coach of the national team decided to leave the Azzurri and move to Saudi Arabia.
Mancini's departure
Mancini's farewell could have compromised Retegui's European journey, but under the stewardship of Alberto Gilardino at Genoa, he ended up convincing new Azzurri boss Luciano Spalletti to rely on him.
The current Italy coach witnessed the striker's first brace in an Azzurri shirt, scored last March in a friendly match played in the United States against Venezuela. In that moment, it was clear that he had found a valuable option at the point of his attack.
"Retegui is perfect because he did an extraordinary job as a goalscorer and above all to get the team going," Spalletti said.
"I thank Spalletti for the post-match compliments and for the opportunity he has given me," Retegui responded. "I'm happy to have shown him my value.
"I want to do things well because (representing) the national team is a goal and a pride. I chose it and I intend to play there as much as possible.
"Two goals are not enough though, I know I must not stop."
Taking his chance at Atalanta
Atalanta striker Gianluca Scamacca is the unfortunate protagonist for the second sliding doors moment that has contributed to Retegui's evolution.
This is because had Scamacca not ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in August, forcing La Dea to return to the market, who knows where Retegui would be today?
The rest, as they say, is history with Retegui scoring plenty of goals for his new team and producing just as many impressive match-winning performances.
His style of football cannot be explained without words like sweat, sacrifice, commitment, solidarity, empathy, and above all, generosity.
'We can have ideas but then the boys' answers are decisive," explained Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini.
"Mateo's response has been exceptional, the ability to apply on the field what we believe and think is all thanks to him."
It appears to be the perfect match for both men, as Retegui has found in Gasperini the ideal coach for his needs - a true master of the game to complete his profile as an all-round number nine.
Leading the Serie A charts
Retegui has started the 2024/25 campaign in blistering form, netting 14 goals across Serie A (12) and the Champions League (two), putting him top of the scoring charts in the Italian top flight. He has also netted twice for the national team.
As a result, the talismanic forward has quintupled in value from his time on loan at Tigre 18 months ago to the 40 million starting point Atalanta have in mind should a top European side come to Bergamo with the aim of taking him away from the club.
It would be a huge career move for Retegui, who has already set his sights on Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of Atalanta's final three opponents in the Champions League's inaugural league phase this season.
