The Italian national team did play yesterday, pulling off a comfortable 1-0 win away against Slovenia- the first time Gli Azzurri had ever won away there. Cesare Prandelli’s rebuilding continues along a smooth pace, with more answers than questions being delivered. The Italian newspapers can only talk about that one game for so long, for so many pages, however, and the subsequent result is massive, massive amounts of transfer talk. How these papers know which team is going to buy who so far ahead of time is impressive, but all fans of Serie A should be incredibly excited. Your team of choice is going to buy everyone you want, and then some!
Take Roma, for example. The side are currently undergoing their busiest transfer window in nearly a decade, despite the fact that the window has yet to open. Jeremy Menez? Surely on his way out, to either Napoli or Juventus based on which report you read. Giallorossi faithful have little reason to despair, however. Incoming to replace the Frenchman is Lucas Podolski (if Napoli don’t take him first). And also Gareth Bale, Didier Drogba, and Alex Sanchez. Possibly Cesc Fabregas, Javier Pastore, and Jose Boswinga as well. Gigi Buffon is nearly a certainty to head to the capital side, unless Arsenal take him first. Those English bastards.
The irony being, of course, this is Roma. The team whose biggest acquisition last summer was $10 million AC Milan reject Marco Borriello- for free at first, only having to buy him at the end of this campaign. The same Roma that never had any money, up until Thomas Di Benedetto was linked to the club. The same Di Benedetto who doesn’t even officially own the club yet, who has not ever had a transfer window to judge him on. And yet, because Roma need new players, and because the club has a new owner, they can suddenly go after any and every-one.
Di Benedetto must be quite angry. He had a fantastic mercato lined up, and the papers just had to go and spill the beans.
Other teams look likely to suffer similar fates this summer. Juventus? Despite a massive transfer campaign last summer, the Turin side are going to spend massively again this summer. Giuseppe Rossi? Sure. Alex Sanchez, Jeremy Menez, and Neymar? Why not? It’s going to be difficult for Sanchez to play two games every weekend, once for Roma and then once for Juventus, but that seems irrelevant. Both clubs want him, both clubs certainly have the cash (they must, it says so on the internet), so both will buy him. Rules? Rules are for losers.
It’s the same all around the peninsula. Inter and Milan will BOTH sign Ganso. And why not? If Sanchez can play for two teams, surely he can as well. The Rossoneri will also take Philippe Mexes from Roma’s hands, though they will have to share him with Liverpool. It’ll be tough, sure, but owning half a defender is surely better than owning none at all. Not happy with the side’s attack, Milan fans? No worries, Bayern will fail to make the Champions’ League and ship Arjen Robben your way.
For Udinese, life after Sanchez will be difficult. Luckily the club have already found the NEW Sanchez (my that was fast, no), so there should be no problems there. Fiorentina? Marco Van Basten will take over and sell Juan Vargas to Barcelona. And on and on and on. Safe to say, if there’s a big name player out there, he’s moving this summer. The one exception may be Lionel Messi, but even that’s no guarantee.
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The papers are ruining this summer! The most exciting transfer campaign that any league has ever seen has already been spoiled by the internet. Manchester City and Real Madrid will look over at Italy and only wish they were part of a league with so many transfers. They’ll try, oh yes they will, to match the spending, but it seems inevitable now.
Serie A will return to greatness. And you’ll have to thank an American owner at Roma for that.
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