Transfer Tuesdays – Volume 3: Juve-Melo, Stars and Stripes for Milan

By: Francesco | July 7th, 2009

We are now at the third volume of Transfer Tuesdays, and now we dig further into the transfer market. Most teams have started training again, and the new season is quickly taking shape. Now with all teams in pre-season training the sporting directors are moving frantically to make deals so that new signings can start pre-season training with the team. Let’s see what’s changed since last week after the jump.

ATALANTA Coach: Angelo Gregucci

Atalanta haven’t done much since last week, but are making deals with Lecce. First, they are giving the Pugliese club young winger Marino Defendi on loan for a season. They are working out a deal with Lecce to bring midfielder Fabio Caserta up north to Bergamo. It seems that the deal is 99% done and just needs the signing of a contract to be official.

BARI Coach: Giampiero Ventura

Bari have strengthened their midfield with the signing of Riccardo Allegretti from Triestina. Allegretti is a central midfielder that can conduct the play in midfield. He is also a free-kick specialist and was one of the best midfielders in Serie B last season. Then, Bari decided to take 4 players off of Genoa’s hands: defender Leonardo Bonucci, midfielder Matteo Paro, and strikers Giuseppe Greco and Riccardo Meggiorini. Former Juve youth product Paro played a big part in Genoa’s first season in Serie A but was hit by injury troubles last season. Meggiorini was one of the top scorers in Serie B last season with Cittadella and now gets his chance to show his stuff in Serie A.

BOLOGNA Coach: Giuseppe Papadopulo

Bologna are still going through ownership issues, but in the meantime have signed Palermo’s midfielder Roberto Guana on loan for the season. They are also close to signing Palermo’s Andrea Raggi on loan as well. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli has left for Cesena and midfielder Sergio Volpi went to his old mentor Walter Novellino at Reggina.

CAGLIARI Coach: Massimiliano Allegri

Cagliari haven’t signed anyone else besides Nene’ yet, but are still on the lookout for a striker. They are also interested in Albinoleffe midfielder Simone Laner and Livorno midfielder Nico Pulzetti.

CATANIA Coach: Gianluca Atzori

Catania made some good signings last week with Gennaro Delvecchio and Giuseppe Bellusci. They sent Vito Falconieri and Marcello Gazzola on loan to Ascoli (part of the Bellusci deal), and sold off Romanian midfielder Nicolae Dica (one of the flops of the season) to Iraklis. The Sicilians are interested in bringing Torino’s Francesco Pratali to Sicily as well as Rimini’s Argentinian fantasista Adrian Ricchiuti. They are also looking to close a deal for Feyenoord fullback Serginho Greene.

CHIEVO Coach: Domenico Di Carlo

Nothing new from the Flying Donkeys. However with goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino looking closer and closer to Genoa, they may be interested in signing Atalanta’s Ferdinando Coppola or Mantova’s Jasmin Handanovic (cousin of Udinese’s keeper Samir) to replace him. They are also interested in Torino’s Austrian midfielder Jurgen Saumel.

FIORENTINA Coach: Cesare Prandelli

The Viola added depth to their defense with the signing of big center-back Cesare Natali from Torino. Fiorentina have also found a deal to co-own winger Marco Marchionni with Juventus, but details still have to be worked out with the player. News at the end of the day reported that a deal has been struck for the sale of Felipe Melo to Juventus, which was 20 million euro plus half of Marchionni. With the sale of Melo, a regista is now needed to replace him, and the Viola are looking at Lazio’s Christian Ledesma (who Corvino discovered at Lecce) or even Juve target Gaetano D’Agostino. They also still need a vice-Gila, and today it was reported they were looking at out of contract Fernando Morientes.

GENOA Coach: Giampiero Gasperini

Genoa underwent some sales, giving 4 players to Bari. They also sold center-back Matteo Ferrari (who is coming off a terrific year) to Turkish club Beskitas. Ferrari couldn’t refuse the multi-million dollar salary. To replace him, Genoa are looking at bringing back Christian Panucci (Panucci was brought up in the Genoa youth system) or Fiorentina’s Dario Dainelli. They are also very close to Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino to replace the outgoing Rubinho.

INTER Coach: Josè Mourinho

Inter have Kerlon back from Chievo, but he will probably be loaned out again. They bought a young Romanian striker, Denis Alibec, to reinforce the Primavera squad. They are still trying to work out deals for Ricardo Carvalho and Deco, and Mourinho has made it known that he wants at least 5 players cut from the roster (rumored names are Obinna, Burdisso, Rivas, Suazo, and Mancini).

JUVENTUS Coach: Ciro Ferrara

As I mentioned for Fiorentina, it seems Juventus have worked out a deal for Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo. It is rumored to be 20 million euro plus the half of Marchionni. The arrival of Melo would without a doubt end the D’Agostino saga. Juve are also close to signing Fabio Grosso for the left flank and are rumored to be interested in Napoli defender Fabiano Santacroce. Then in the sales department they most definitely want to rid themselves of Tiago and Christian Poulsen.

LAZIO Coach: Davide Ballardini

Lazio haven’t bought anyone but that’s due to the fact that they have a 35 man roster which they started pre-season training with. Ballardini definitely wants that roster cut down to manageable number and many players will be shopped around. Lorenzo De Silvestri, Christian Ledesma, and Goran Pandev have all stated they want to leave. It was rumored today that a 14 million euro offer was received for Pandev from Zenit St. Petersburg but it seems that isn’t a favored destination for the Macedonian striker. Lotito won’t let him go for cheap and wants 25 million euro.

LIVORNO Coach: Gennaro Ruotolo

One problem Livorno have to face is with their newly appointed manager Gennaro Ruotolo. Ruotolo doesn’t have the required license to be a Serie A manager and he won’t finish the course in time to receive it for this season. So Livorno may have to do what Ascoli did back in the day with Marco Giampaolo and have a licensed coach as their “official manager” while Ruotolo is really in command behind the scenes. Today Aldo Spinelli announced that the return of Cristiano Lucarelli is 99.9%, all he has to do is sign a contract.

MILAN Coach: Leonardo

The surprising news today was that Milan completed the signing of USA national team defender Oguchi Onyewu on a free transfer. Onyewu’s contract with Standard Leige expired and Onyewu was picked up on a 3-year deal. Milan needed some reinforcements at the the back, and Onyewu was a cheap option after he impressed scouts at the Confederations Cup. Onyweu will be the second American ever to play in Serie A (3rd if you count Giuseppe Rossi). Milan are still looking for that big striker up front, with Luis Fabiano and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar the names being thrown around now.

NAPOLI Coach: Roberto Donadoni

Napoli are showing an interest for Bologna’s Belgian midfielder Gaby Mudingayi as well as now out of contract Julio Cruz. Cruz would be a good signing, but he wants to start, and he’s not guaranteed that at Napoli. The Partenopei are still showing an interest in Juve’s Paolo De Ceglie as well as Lazio’s Goran Pandev. They desperately wanted to bring Antonio Di Natale back to his hometown, but it seems the fantasista was unwilling to move because of family reasons.

PALERMO Coach: Walter Zenga

Palermo seem to be shopping in Argentina this summer. The Rosanero are still trying to complete the deal for Huracan’s Javier Pastore, as well as sign Boca Juniors defender Gabriel Paletta and Velez defender Emiliano Papa. However other defensive options seem to be Inter’s Nelson Rivas and Lazio’s Emilson Cribari.

PARMA Coach: Francesco Guidolin

The Gialloblu got Jonathan Biabany on loan from Inter (excellent season with Modena last year), as well as defender Paolo Dellafiore from Palermo. They are also interested in Brescia’s young defender Andrea Rispoli and are still trying to convince Christian Panucci. Parma also need a goalkeeper, and Ferdinando Coppola, Emiliano Viviano, Gianluca Curci, and Mario Cassano are all viable options.

ROMA Coach: Luciano Spalletti

Francesco Totti made it known that he wouldn’t mind the arrival of Julio Cruz or Andriy Shevchenko, and those options are still being looked at. Roma sent Simone Loria (terrible season) to Serie B on loan to Torino. Primavera player Filipe Gomes was signed by Siena. Roma are also interested in Torino’s Davide Di Michele (knows Spalletti from Udinese days) as well as Fiorentina’s Mario Santana (but his injury troubles could scare them away).

SAMPDORIA Coach: Gigi Del Neri

Sampdoria have officially signed Napoli winger Daniele Mannini and also Udinese midfielder Fernando Tissone, who shined under Del Neri at Atalanta. The Blucerchiati sent goalkeeper Daniele Padelli on loan to Bari. Samp are very interested in Lazio right-back Luciano Zauri, and are still on the prowl for another winger (Franco Semioli or Mario Santana).

SIENA Coach: Giampaolo

Siena have signed young Brazilian midfielder Filipe Gomes from Roma, as well as Cameroonian defender Antonio Ghomsi from Avellino. The Tuscans are still looking for a striker (Michele Paolucci is the big name) and a midfielder (Eder, Nicolas Amodio, Albin Ekdal, or Radja Nainggolan).

UDINESE Coach: Pasquale Marino

Udinese sold Tissone to Sampdoria, and seem to really want Sampdoria’s Daniele Dessena. Marino said it himself today, the attack department is too full and players need to be sent elsewhere. The good news is that Antonio Di Natale and Gaetano D’Agostino seem to be staying put for now.