Prior to joining Sampdoria back in 2015, Luis Muriel's career was definitely veering towards a crossroads. While enormously talented, the Colombian prospect was looking like his potential might be left unfulfilled, as he endured a largely disappointing spell under Francesco Guidolin at Udinese.
Plagued by weight problems and seeming disinterested at times, the then 23-year-old was thankfully thrown a lifeline by Sampdoria's manager, Sinisa Mihajlovic, however, who recognised his underlying quality and convinced the club to outlay a hefty €12 million to acquire the man that hadn't even managed to muster a league goal in almost 400 minutes of action.
"[Muriel is] the only player I really wanted," Mihajlovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport at the time. "[Muriel] did so well at Lecce, then lost himself in the last few years [at Udinese], which was partly his own fault, but here [at Sampdoria] he'll find his motivation again."
At Samp, the Colombian speedster found a place where he could begin to get his career back on track, something he duly did during his two and a half year spell with the club. With his confidence restored, in combination with working under excellent managers in the form of Mihajlovic and Marco Giampaolo, he began to shine.
There were still patches of inconsistency and frustration at the Blucerchiati, though, but the 2016/2017 season served as an ideal indicator that his trajectory was well and truly heading in an upward fashion. Scoring 11 Serie A goals and supplying five assists, the enigmatic forward led the line with dynamism, unpredictability and enthusiasm throughout.
Further highlights were drawn from his crafty link up play and instinctive movement inside the box, but his threat in behind was unquestionably his biggest asset. Using his blistering pace and acceleration, his well timed and directed runs were a menacing proposition to deal with for every defensive unit that came up against him.
With his intention clear that he wanted to leave Sampdoria this summer, Muriel had no shortage of suitors attempting to snap him up. While Everton, West Ham, Lazio, Inter Milan and AS Roma were all reportedly keen on obtaining his services, Muriel appeared to have his heart set on a move to La Liga, and Sevilla in particular. Sampdoria subsequently agreed Muriel's transfer with Los Nervionenses in a deal worth an initial €20 million, a fee that was the highest ever in Sevilla's history.
"I believe Sevilla FC, with the history they have and what they have demonstrated, is the ideal place for me. Moreover, the atmosphere here is great and that's another fundamental reason why I'm here," he explained.
Then, when asked if the hefty fee brings with it lofty expectations, he coolly handled the question and spoke of his desire to achieve great things at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. "Rather than pressure, I see it as motivation, a symbol of pride to me. I'm very calm because I worked very hard to get here and I'm sure that when the season starts all that will be put aside. I have ability to show and I'm going to do just that," he asserted.
"I have grown a lot as a footballer over the last few years and I set myself many targets. I don't like to talk about numbers, but one of the objectives is to score a lot of goals. As a striker, that's one of my responsibilities, as well as contributing a lot to the club".
Under the high octane style of new Sevilla manager, Eduardo Berizzo, Muriel will be a fine addition to the Andalusian outfit, who've also signed the likes of Nolito from Manchester City, Sebastian Corchia from Lille, Simon Kjaer from Fenerbahce, Guido Pizarro from Tigres, plus re-signed former stars in Ever Banega and Jesus Navas this summer.
Berizzo will typically instruct his side to press with the utmost intensity, and Muriel will need to exert himself fully in this regard to endear himself to his manager. Having done so encouragingly under Giampaolo at Samp, he'll hopefully be able to adapt to Berizzo's demands without too much fuss. He'll undoubtedly be a key benefactor of the Argentine tactician's pressing, as it'll allow his team to win the ball back quickly and enable Muriel fantastic opportunities to attack unset defences using his pace and technical skills. With still roughly two weeks until the new La Liga season, Muriel will use this crucial time to further assimilate into life at his new home.
Considering his career was heading in the wrong direction just two and a half years ago, Muriel deserves immense credit for the way he's turned things around and is now fulfilling his vast potential.
Joining Sevilla is certainly a fitting reward for all his hard work during his fruitful spell with Sampdoria.
