In July of this year, just before the start of the Clausura Tournament of Liga 1, Alianza Lima's attempts to sign Paolo Guerrero and have him join the team for the second half of the championship excited the fans, but the deal did not prosper: the 'Predator' preferred to continue his career at Avaí in Brasileirao.
In the end, the club did not need the striker, as their available squad was enough to become the two-time champion of Peruvian football. The contribution of players like Hernán Barcos, Pablo Lavandeira, Yordi Vílchez, Gino Peruzzi, and Angelo Campos was vital for the triumph of the blanquiazules.
Guerrero's luck, on the other hand, was completely opposite. For the first time since his professional debut, the all-time leading scorer of the Peruvian national team failed to score any goals in the season. The long period of inactivity and the limited minutes he had with León de la Isla took a toll on achieving this negative record.
However, going scoreless was only one of the misfortunes that plagued the 38-year-old striker in 2022. His other major failure was not being able to avoid relegation, as Avaí could not escape the relegation zone of the standings (last four positions) despite defeating Flamengo on the final matchday.
Finally, there was the setback in his injury: since the 30th matchday of the Brazilian league (October 7th), the Peruvian forward stopped appearing in his club's squad due to physical discomfort. In total, he missed the last eight matches of the season.
Guerrero could have won his first title with Alianza
In a hypothetical scenario in which he had accepted Alianza Lima's offer, without any negative impact on the team's performance, the 'Predator' could have become a champion for the first time as an Alianza player.
Paolo Guerrero's numbers in 2022
This year, Paolo Guerrero only managed to play 427 minutes in 10 matches of Brasileirao with Avaí. With no goals or assists and two yellow cards, it is the least productive campaign for the player, who will not renew with the blue and white team.