Serie A off to a fast start in the transfer window
So far the developments point to the league continuing their growth, with one big exception. To keep you up to date with all the changes, I broke down the main developments on the transfer market as we head into June…
The impact of Ancelotti joining Napoli and Sarri leaving
Speaking of movies, even the most ardent fan of Sarri Ball has to be impressed with the fact that film producer De Laurentiis was able to land Carletto. The partenopei’s new manager had turned down both Milan and the Italian national team in recent years, and a quick glance at his resume will remind you of the level of clubs he’s managed in the new millennium (Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich)- suffice to say this is quite the statement from the club.
It will be interesting to see how Napoli will operate this summer since it’s hard to envision them lowering the level of the squad. But it’s not out of the question, heck may even likely, that some big names will leave to bring personnel more suited to Ancelotti’s style. As an example, someone like Jorginho could be sold and be replaced by either Dembele’, Paredes or Fabian Ruiz.
While some of last season’s starters will leave, Chelsea fans are also already aware of how tough Napoli are to negotiate with, and Sarri’s potential arrival wouldn’t likely make the situation any easier because of his tense relationship with De Laurentiis. While Koulibaly would be a great addition to the Blues’ backline, it would be very hard for Napoli to find replacement- and it’s unlikely they would want to help their former manager. On the plus side for Chelsea, numerous Napoli players do have exit clauses (Ghoulam, Hysaj, Albiol, Callejon, Mertens to name a few).
After bolstering their existing strength how will Inter address their weaknesses?
Despite what we saw in the last match of the season, Stefan de Vrij had been one of the best central defenders in Serie A past few years. Landing him for free, from a direct rival for a Champions League spot no less, while he’s still in his prime is quite the coup- but assuming Skriniar stays, he’s coming to further bolster a position where Inter was very strong, especially after Miranda regained his best form in second half of the season.
Considering playing with two strikers up front isn’t something Spalletti is known for, highly rated prospect Lautaro Martinez’ initial role will likely be as a backup (although he’ll likely be an immediate upgrade over Eder) so while Inter’s initial additions are impressive they don’t really address their weaknesses. That will change once the Asamoah signing is announced, the versatile Ghanaian international is expected to be Inter’s best left back in quite some time.
While Inter could use some more creativity in the midfield and upfront, they may have to add to their list of needs if they’re unable to redeem the rights to Rafinha and Joao Cancelo. Inter is off to an impressive start to the window, but their lingering Financial Fair Play issues will still make this a challenging and busy summer.
Roma’s Monchi’s revolution
While Roma had an excellent season, it’s hard to give a lot of the credit to their sporting director. Alisson was already on the squad, Di Francesco wasn’t his hire, Moreno was sold in January after arriving just the previous summer, Schick struggled most of the season and Karsdorp barely played because of two serious injuries.
But Monchi is starting to put his stamp on the team beginning with the acquisition of highly rated Croatian midfielder Coric, and getting a mulligan on the Moreno deal by being on the verge of signing Porto’s Ivan Marcano on a free transfer. Unlike previous summers, Roma will actually be in fairly good financial shape as a result of their deep run in the Champions League- Monchi is in perfect position to retain the title of best sporting director in Italy’s capital from Igli Tare’.
Will Juventus continue to bolster their midfield after Can’s arrival?
June hasn’t even started yet and the defending Serie A champions have already been very active. Caldara and Spinazzola wrapped up another season at Atalanta before returning to the home base, and although there were some flashbacks to the Witsel situation, Emre Can has been a bianconero in waiting for quite some time. In addition, the Marotta and Paratici duo have made significant progress on the Perin and Darmian fronts.
But while there’s more apprehension on the wing back position after Spinazzola’s surgery and Asamoah’s departure, the biggest question on Juventini’s mind is if the club will be satisfied with Can or if they’ll look to further bolster Allegri’s midfield? While the impact of the German player’s wages shouldn’t be underestimated (there may not be a transfer fee but this is still a substantial expense on Juventus’ balance sheet when you also consider the agent fees), there should be enough left to make another significant addition to a midfield where Khedira (who could leave for the Premier League), Marchisio and Matuidi will be a year older.
Who will win the Bryan Cristante derby?
While Milinkovic Savic will almost certainly be too expensive for Juventus or any other Serie A club, the former Milan prospect could end up being the consolation prize in Turin. Interestingly Lazio are also targeting Cristante as Milinkovic Savic’s replacement, but they maybe priced out of the race since in addition to Juventus, they’re also competing against Roma (flush with cash after their CL run) as well as Inter.
While Cristante’s performances this season have been rather impressive, there’s the chance he’s a product of the Gasperini system. Like Brad Stevens with the Celtics (think of Bradley, Crowder) it’s not uncommon for players who leave Gasperini’s teams to look rather ordinary in their new surroundings.
Milan’s change in plans
What a difference a year makes. This time last summer the rossoneri started their revolution by welcoming Musacchio, the first of many new additions- some of which were quite expensive. But now Milan fans find themselves trying to understand if Pepe Reina is coming to be a starter, and if Strinic counts towards one of the new players promised by their directors.
Because of the recent issues with UEFA and the lack of Champions League revenues, which were so vital to the new regime’s business plan, it’s not surprising to see sporting director Mirabelli targeting players on free transfers like their first two new additions and Fellaini. On top of financial restrictions coming with Financial Fair Play, it remains to be seen how much the uncertainty over the ownership situation will impact Milan’s ability to recruit the type of players who can bridge the gap with the top teams in Italy.
@DavidAmoyal