Little money, but there are those who still spent a lot. Many loans, some young ideas and hierarchies to be rebuilt behind Inter’s back: here is the balance of three (exhausting) months of negotiations…
Three very long months, too long, without money but not without ideas and twists. Three months in which the best was condensed at the beginning and at the end with lots of chatter and very little business in between. Three months, however, which have redesigned a good part of the panorama of Serie A without, perhaps, changing the hierarchy but handing over interesting and worrying sporting projects to technicians who from now on will have to make them work by answering for them personally. As always.
If it is true that the pole position in the Scudetto grid remained solid in the hands of Italian champions Inter, who worked above all with the Champions League in mind, many things have happened behind the Nerazzurri and the first days of the championship have confirmed that there are interesting trends to observe. One above all: it is true that we are no longer competitive with the Premier League and with the multinationals that travel around Europe, but this time the choice of many was to invest in young talents who took Serie A as a stopover. It is no compliment to have become a development movement, but the label of elephant cemetery has been avoided. Here are the report cards (in order of arrival in May):
Inter (vote 9)
The gamble for Chivu is demanding because he will have to do well, much better than last year, in the Champions League and repeat himself in the championship, however the triple coup from England which brought Stones, Spence and Jones to Appiano Gentile has had a double effect: raising the overall quality of the squad, which now has two teams both super competitive, and erasing some clichés about Oaktree’s operational strategies.
Naples (rating 4.5)
No surprise because we knew that De Laurentiis needed a maneuver… tears and blood after Conte’s two years, which were extremely onerous. The squad given to Allegri is of an excellent standard, but has not been corrected or improved where it could have been. Injuries in defense have taken Badiashile, while Favasuli is a project to work on.
Rome (score 8)
The masterpiece was completed in January with Malen, obviously redeemed. The first Champions League summer, albeit under UEFA restrictions, saw the Friedkins committed to satisfying Gasperini. A few too many stumbles in the external high voice (in addition to the interesting Mora), which ultimately did not arrive. Market closed at the last minute, the ‘No’ of Gasp and D’Amico which avoided the sale of Konè to Chelsea moved a couple of votes on the report card. Overall a little short rose.
Como (vote 9-)
On the lake shore, no expense was spared for the third consecutive summer. The redemption of Nico Paz at 60 million euros, the arrival of Chalobah at 30, that of Kean at over 40 and the confirmation of the best were moves of the absolute top club. Watch out for Milla, who arrived spending relatively little and who Fabregas is transforming into the permanent center of gravity of his game. The minus derives from the inability to sell by monetizing purchases that are now redundant, but which cost money a few months ago and which not even Cesc’s care has allowed them to put back on the market, allowing for a bit of player trading.
Milan (score 6-)
Gerry Cardinale’s first summer gave birth to surprise surprises and widespread perplexities. Goncalo Ramos has the flaw of having been overpaid, as does Diego Moreira, but he solves the lack of center forwards that has been dragging on for years. Gila was a smart, quick and functional purchase. And then? The strategy of declared redundancies worked, in the sense that between one loan and another Milanello was not completely emptied: what to do with Fofana (Turkey remains) and Tomori after having put them out of the project? Could it have been handled differently? Leao was sold because his history with the Rossoneri was over, but thinking that whoever arrives is stronger is today an act of faith in Amorim and in his vision of football.
Juventus (score 6)
The fault is not of Carnevali and Massara, who had to move the rubble of two disastrous managements on the market like those of Giuntoli and Comolli. Not a painless job, also because those who approached the Juventus redundancies did so by negotiating with the upper hand, thus drying up the weapons to be reinvested that could be obtained from player trading.
That said, the session was quite confusing and catch-up. The 50 million placed on Kolo Muani is a bet not accompanied by Spalletti’s full smile. Ditto for the goalkeeper Vicario who is excellent, but not the first choice. With little money, was it a priority to spend over 30 on Alajbegovic who seems destined to be a reserve immediately? Couldn’t Kessie have been closed before Atalanta came in? Is Sarr an upgrade or a stopgap? And is Woltemade what Spalletti wanted or an adaptation due to lack of alternatives?
Atalanta (score 8)
She had the luxury of stealing Kessie from Juventus. He added Gaetano, Kristensen as well as the usual sensational transfers on the axis that was created with Chelsea: a hundred million between Palestra and Ahanor. Sarri will have to bring discontinuity to the Gasperini era and will be the first after the half-and-a-half season spent between Juric and Palladino.
Bologna (vote 5)
The best like Castro and Rowe were sold and Freuler was lost. Tedesco starts almost from scratch. Those who have arrived will have to demonstrate that they are equal to those who left. If so, the vote will be updated in a few months.
Lazio (score 6.5)
Not having any money, it was almost a miracle: Sutalo, Pedraza, Gudmundsson, Pinamonti and above all Frattesi that Gattuso’s Lazio took it on immediately. At the beginning of August the prospect was of a championship of fear on the right side of the table, now some rays of sunshine are visible even if the weight of the protest that empties the Olimpico remains.
Fiorentina (rating 7.5)
Paratici and Comisso Jr have completely remade the team that barely managed to escape relegation in May. Summer of forced labor with lots of interesting things inside. In no particular order: Mastantuono from Real Madrid, Oulai who impressed at the World Cup, Pedro Goncalves from Sporting Lisbon, Atta from Udinese. Plus other side operations and also some important releases. One vote less for the management of the Kean affair: he should have left but the Viola let Como dictate the timing and ended up finishing long.
The votes of the other Serie A teams
The usual Udinese gets an abundant pass (6.5) after a summer of great attention and moderation, as per tradition: via Atta, inside Vojvoda. Same vote for the newly promoted Venice (6.5) who invested many millions to give Stroppa the tools to save himself. Promoted on Sassuolo (6) in the first year after the end of the Carnival era: balance between revenues and expenses. The Frosinone (6-) has remade almost the entire starting team by inserting some players who could do well in Serie A. Something less for the Parma (5.5) because removing Pellegrino and Suzuki from a group like Cuesta’s means taking on the risk of a difficult season.
Failed with a score of 5 Turin who kept Cacciamani, the object of many clubs’ desires, but made money with Njie and Pedersen. Comuzzo and Fortini can be functional. Same vote (5) for the Cagliari who at the last minute brought Nzola on board but who saw Sebastiano Esposito leave; renewed midfield, Romano’s young talent stands out and the hope in Maldini’s definitive explosion. It sold a lot Genoa (vote 5) with the feeling of having weakened the chassis available to De Rossi. Not good (rated 5) not even the Monza even if the first matches showed a good Varela, who is responsible for many of the hopes of salvation. Finally the Lecce (rating 4.5), victim of the Banda case.
