League Focus: Five Serie A Transfers to Watch Out For

Wesley Sneijder
 
As a member of Inter’s treble-winning team in 2010 and a fan favourite at San Siro, it sure would be strange to see Wesley Sneijder in a Juventus shirt. One of the principal reasons the Dutchman has entered the hearts of the Nerazzurri is the number of occasions he has inflicted pain on their bitter rivals. It was Sneijder after all who knocked Juventus out of the Champions League at the group stage while playing for current club Galatasaray a little over a year ago.

Max Allegri wants a No.10 though as he seeks to put his own stamp on the team, it’s a hallmark of his managerial career. Andrea Cossu performed the role for him at Cagliari and Kevin-Prince Boateng, in a quite unorthodox fashion, at Milan. At €20m, the buy-out clause quoted by Galatasaray, the Old Lady isn’t willing to do business. But strapped for cash and reportedly unable to pay Sneijder’s wages at one stage last year, the Turks aren’t in a great bargaining position. Juventus sense vulnerability and believe the price can be negotiated down and dramatically so to less than what Galatasaray paid Inter for him two years ago.

Bianconeri supporters have mixed emotions about this deal. They feel conflicted because of Sneijder’s past with Inter and, as with the Fredy Guarin talk this time last season, fear it might predicate the departure of Arturo Vidal or Paul Pogba in the summer. Also do Juventus need Sneijder when Roberto Pereyra and Kingsley Coman can play the role? And isn’t he in decline? That was the impression when he left Inter.

Stats like these had started to become familiar to them. Sneijder has had the most shots in the Turkish Süper Lig this season [53] but has only scored 3 goals [a conversion rate of 5.7%]. He has 0 assists. True he is still a big name player capable of moments of genius but he trades on reputation more than ever.

Sneijder wouldn’t be eligible for the Champions League either, which begs the question: Shouldn’t Juventus be looking to recruit players in January who give them an even better chance against Borussia Dortmund and possibly beyond because once you get to the quarter-finals, hey, anything can happen.

Xherdan Shaqiri

Under pressure to invest from former Inter owners who announced themselves with marquee signings, and fans and the punditocracy who have come to expect it as though this were tradition, Erick Thohir, with the exception of the money spent on Hernanes this time last year, has been cautious about writing out big cheques for players. Inter’s financial situation - they posted a loss in excess of €100m in their last year-end accounts and have been warned by UEFA about their prospects of being FFP compliant - has understandably made him count his pennies.

However, if you appoint a coach like Roberto Mancini, you at least give the impression you are willing to spend. One of his fortes as a manager is his ability to persuade his owners to do just that. Built for Walter Mazzarri and his 3-5-2, Mancini is seeking to reshape the team and give it wings. The loan of Lukas Podolski can be seen in this light even if he is better suited to play as a second striker than out on the left where he leaves his full-back exposed.

Ezequiel Lavezzi is the luxury summer target for that position, and Yevhen Konoplyanka, a free agent, the more affordable option. Mancini’s first choice on the right was Alessio Cerci, yet Milan edged Inter to his signature. Since then their focus has shifted to Xherdan Shaqiri, the much in-demand 23-year-old Switzerland international, now on the fringes at Bayern. When including assists the stocky playmaker has directly contributed to a goal every 124.6 minutes in the Bundesliga.

This season he has averaged a shot every 28.2 minutes, a key pass every 33.8 minutes and a successful dribble every 42.3 minutes. Upon agreeing personal terms and securing the preference of the player with the promise of regular first team football, a delegation has flown out to thrash out a deal with Bayern. Beating Liverpool and the rest of the competition - Valencia, Monaco and Stoke - to his signature would be a real coup.

Luis Muriel

He was supposed to be the next big thing at Udinese. When fans spoke about the hole left by Alexis Sanchez and the need for Toto Di Natale to find a new partner, the expectation was that it would be Luis Muriel filling it. Brought back from his loan spell at Lecce where he had hinted at a big future playing alongside his fellow Colombian, Juan Cuadrado, scoring with a run from inside his own half against Siena, which led to comparisons with the original Ronaldo, the 23-year-old had scouts excited.

Despite finishing his first season in Friuli with 11 league goals, which provoked links with a move to Liverpool, Muriel has disappointed. Too often behind in his fitness work and overweight, he has played only 38.2% of the minutes available to him at Udinese and is close to going a year without finding the net in Serie A. Samp are willing to gamble on him in the belief he can be re-motivated and regenerated. Seeking a replacement for Manolo Gabbiadini, a deal could be done for €10m plus €2m in performance-related add-ons and a 15-20% sell-on clause.

Neto

It was once said the only thing Fiorentina lacked to qualify for the Champions League was a top goalkeeper. They were encouraged to sign Julio Cesar. Instead, amid a widespread belief outside of Florence that he wasn’t good enough, the club put its faith in Neto and protected him from criticism.

Over the last year or so, really ever since that stunning 4-2 win against Juventus at the Artemio Franchi, he has announced himself as one of Serie A’s best goalkeepers, fulfilling his potential. Only Gigi Buffon and Morgan de Sanctis [10] have kept more clean sheets than Neto this season [7]. Only Marco Sportiello of Atalanta [32] has successfully claimed more crosses [27].

And what has Fiorentina’s reward been for sticking by him? Neto is refusing to extend his contract, which is due to expire in the summer. He hopes to move to a bigger club where, in his opinion, he will be better placed to challenge for Brazil’s No.1 shirt. The ownership, coach Vincenzo Montella and the fans are deeply embittered. They feel betrayed. To anyone looking for a goalkeeper, be they Liverpool, Arsenal or maybe even Roma, he’ll be relatively cheap this winter or a smart pick-up for nothing in the summer.

Alessandro Diamanti

Bologna’s relegation last season can be put down to a few things. The club’s perilous financial situation, which then informed its transfer strategy. Alberto Gilardino returned to Genoa and wasn’t replaced in the summer. Alessandro Diamanti, their principal difference creator, was then sold to Guangzhou Evergrande in the spring.

Joined by Gilardino in China in June, both were part of the team Marcello Lippi led to yet another league title. Following the great man’s retirement and replacement by Fabio Cannavaro, his captain when Italy won the World Cup in 2006, both now seem inclined to come back to Italy.

A decade on from finishing vice-capocannoniere in their colours, Gilardino is being linked with a romantic return to Parma, the club with whom he made his name, while Diamanti is in talks with Fiorentina about a reunion - he played for Florentia-Viola in 2003 - with an option to buy for €3m.

Ravaged by injury and in need of someone to get Mario Gomez firing, he could be the man for the job. Only Antonio Cassano [2.7] averaged more key passes per game than Diamanti [2.6] in Serie A last season. He also ranked sixth for dribbles per game [2.6] and is a threat from distance in open-play and set-piece situations.

Which transfers are you hoping will happen to or from Serie A this month? Let us know in the comments below