The latest transfer rumours in the Serie A.
Juventus left back Reto Ziegler does not seem to figure in the Bianconeri's plans. A move to La Liga seems unlikely as Valencia and Sevilla have dropped out of talks for him. Lokomotiv and CSKA Moscow however have begun tracking him, and are in talks with the players agent/father Rene Ziegler.
They have also closed down talks with Brescia starlet Omar El Khaddouri, a move to the Premiere League is now possible for the young Moroccan who will be showcased in the Olympics.
Sticking with Juventus, Milos Krasic played as a sub in the friendly against Hertha Berlin and scored. He may now have an opportunity in the first team with a possible suspension hanging over Simone Pepe. However, any decent offer for the player would still be accepted at this point.
Bruno Alves is close to a Juventus move, the club are still looking at other options though. Rumours of Salvatore Bocchetti are gaining steam, especially now that Bonucci will likely miss the entire season on a suspension. Bocchetti's contract with Rubin Kazan ends in 2013, a loan deal with option to buy at the end seems likely.
Inter continue to track Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo. It will take at least 30 million Euro for the player, but he has said his future will not be decided until after the Olympics. Manchester United are still in the lead for his signature.
Rumours continue to swirl around Milan. Replacements are needed and the club are looking at everything. Kaka remains a possibility while Catania midfielder Lodi says he is proud to be a Catania player and has no problems staying there. He has recently been linked to the Rossoneri.
Milan continue to look in France for defenders. N'Koulou Nicolas is the latest name to be linked with the club. The Marseille defender is 22 years old and has tonnes of potential. However, he would count as a non-EU player as he is Cameroonian. They should continue to look in Italy for defenders. Angelo Ogbonna anyone?
Napoli have given standout pre-season performer Lorenzo Insigne a contract extension. It runs until 2017.
They are also druelling at the prospects of signing Guiseppe Rossi. However if that deal won't materialize Giampaolo Pazzini, Sergio Floccari and Rolando Bianchi would be other options.
Euro 2012 standout Federico Balzaretti has many admirers, and a move out of Palermo is imminent. The Rosaneri have accepted bids from Roma and Napoli so his future is now in his own hands. His wife would like him to stay in Palermo or move to PSG. Juventus are looking to hijack this deal as well.
Fiorentina are tracking Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani. It seems he would like a move back to Italy but nothing is imminent. Something may happen in the next week or so as Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers tries to figure out if Aquilani will be in his plans for the Reds.
Inter are beginning to look for alternatives to Lucas Moura. Although their hope is still high for the Brazilian, they have looked to Germany for midfield talent. Mario Gotze of Borussia Dortmund as well as Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich. Muller seems likely as he would like more guaranteed playing time than he has been getting in Munich.
Roma has finally made the signing of Mattia Destro official. It's clear now why it took so long, very complicated deal. He moves to the Giallorossi on loan for 11.5m Euro with an option to purchase outright at the end of the year for an extra 4.5. This will obviously happen because it makes no sense to pay 11.5m Euro for a loan, and then throw the player back. Giammario Piscitella and Valerio Verre have gone to Genoa as part of co-ownership deals as well, while Verre will be loaned to Siena. Add it all up you get a 19m Euro deal for Mattia Destro.
Genoa wanted as much money as they could get right away to bring in some re-inforcements. The first two names that have popped up in rumour talks are Milos Krasic from Juventus and Alessio Cerci from Fiorentina. The Rossoblu would like both in a perfect world.
Three teams are hunting Atalanta's Federico Peluso. Juventus, who have been tracking him for quite sometime, Lazio, and Palermo who will soon be searching for a Balzaretti replacement.
Pescara continue to look for new attacking options since losing Veratti, Insigne and Immobile. The three men that won them promotion from Serie B. Emmanuele Calaio is one of the names at the top of their list.
Torino have terminated the contract of Damiano Ferronetti.
Chievo are looking at bringing Valeri Bojinov back to the Serie A. He is currently playing for Sporting Lisbon.
Luc Castaignos made his move from Inter to FC Twente official today. He lashed out at the club saying although he learned a lot during his time in Milan, he had more faith in himself than the team had in him. He's only 19 he can still become a great player. The ceiling is very, very high on this kid.
Udinese, looking for Samir Handanovic replacement, are thinking about bringing former Juventus keeper Alex Manninger into the mix.
Juventus have made the signing of Pablo Armero one of their top priorities. They are thought to want three more players before the window closes. A defender, a striker and left wing. Armero would be that left winger.
That's it for today surely the silly season will have much more tomorrow.
Follow me on twitter @DanRiccio23 for all the very latest transfer news in the Italian Serie A.
Showing posts with label liverpool. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liverpool. Show all posts
Monday, 30 July 2012
Thursday, 26 July 2012
"Friendlies in America"
when you read the title of the post i want you to sing it like James Brown....because thats how I'm saying it!
Friendlies in (North) America. Now maybe some of you are like me and fell victim to these cash grabs, hopefully not. They try to lure you in with posters such as this one
making you the fan believe that your favourite stars will actually show up to an EXHIBITION in Toronto, days after a much deserved vacation. If they do end up playing, they dont go hard (who can blame them) and its never longer than a half (why risk an injury).
Now I won't argue that exhibitions are much needed to any team sport in warm up for the upcoming season. But my main gripe is the timing for these games and ticket prices.
Two seasons ago Juventus and Fiorentina travelled to Toronto on May 25th to do battle in the Skydome (yes it will always be called that to me). But the problem was it wasn't much of a battle. Both teams had just finished long disappointing seasons one week prior.
Any really talented player from either side was with their national side prepping for the 2010 World Cup. Unless your last name is Jovetic and your country will never qualify so you have to tear up a fake Juve defence. Juve played 6 local players they had signed on 10 day contracts and played most of their youth players because of the shortage of first teamers.
Yet ticket prices were cheapest 60$ and most 200$.....for a FRIENDLY!!!!
[side note] it was on this day that i declared to twitter and all Juve fans in attendance that Amauri had to go, and Jovetic has to come in, and i still stand by that.
The following year Juventus came back (2011), to play Sporting of portugal. Ticket sales were disappointing, nearly selling half the stadium with only 10,028 ticket sales. After the previous years showing on Juventus' part I dont understand how anyone in marketing thought that fans in Toronto would be willing to dish that same cash again.
Oh but I was wrong as this season Juventus attempted to come back (ticket prices were the same as the previous 2 exhibitions; cheapest 60$, most 200$) but pre sales were soo low that the team decided a trip to China would be more profitable. Now this is in no part due to Juve not having a strong fan base in Canada, it is due to the expensive price for tickets to watch a fake Juventus.
We need more meaningful games to come here to justify those prices. They are the same prices as Miami Heat playoff tickets! And your not even getting stars to entertain us (in the 2010 friendly in Toronto, Del Piero did not take the field even after many chants from the 21,000+ crowd), but kids trying to find their place on the field.
I have absolutely no problem at all with the MLS all-star game. It has been surprisingly entertaining the last few years, and I think its a great idea to have the MLS all-stars face the reigning European Champions every summer. You could tell last night the MLS players were trying, and Chelsea wasnt walking around neither.
I remember fantasizing as a kid of the Champions League finals being hosted in the Skydome (and Juve winning it of course). Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds...to have a European Cup final not in Europe. Which is why I was a child at the time. But where I am going with this is that why can't Toronto host the FIFA Club World Cup?
The Italian Super Cup has been hosted in somewhere other than Italy 5 times in the last 10 years. I am sure that if this years Italian Super Cup between Napoli and Juve were held in Toronto or Montreal it would have been a sellout. Instead they are off to China at the Beijing National Stadium in.....wait for it.....Beijing!
This same stadium has hosted the competition in 2009 and 2011. Last season it was full sellout of 80, 000! This is expected to be the same. So who can blame the teams or League for going for the money, thats the name of the game.
Marketers beware if you plan on bringing Juventus back and expect us to pay those high prices, know that if the buyer doesn't recieve what they expected, not playing the stars you advertised to us or these non competitive matches, it won't sell. Simply because.....
Friendlies in (North) America. Now maybe some of you are like me and fell victim to these cash grabs, hopefully not. They try to lure you in with posters such as this one
[Suarez is at the Olympics!]
making you the fan believe that your favourite stars will actually show up to an EXHIBITION in Toronto, days after a much deserved vacation. If they do end up playing, they dont go hard (who can blame them) and its never longer than a half (why risk an injury).
Now I won't argue that exhibitions are much needed to any team sport in warm up for the upcoming season. But my main gripe is the timing for these games and ticket prices.
Two seasons ago Juventus and Fiorentina travelled to Toronto on May 25th to do battle in the Skydome (yes it will always be called that to me). But the problem was it wasn't much of a battle. Both teams had just finished long disappointing seasons one week prior.
Any really talented player from either side was with their national side prepping for the 2010 World Cup. Unless your last name is Jovetic and your country will never qualify so you have to tear up a fake Juve defence. Juve played 6 local players they had signed on 10 day contracts and played most of their youth players because of the shortage of first teamers.
Yet ticket prices were cheapest 60$ and most 200$.....for a FRIENDLY!!!!
[side note] it was on this day that i declared to twitter and all Juve fans in attendance that Amauri had to go, and Jovetic has to come in, and i still stand by that.
The following year Juventus came back (2011), to play Sporting of portugal. Ticket sales were disappointing, nearly selling half the stadium with only 10,028 ticket sales. After the previous years showing on Juventus' part I dont understand how anyone in marketing thought that fans in Toronto would be willing to dish that same cash again.
[my condolences to anyone who had to sit through that rainstorm last summer]
[would of been a great roadie with the boys]
We need more meaningful games to come here to justify those prices. They are the same prices as Miami Heat playoff tickets! And your not even getting stars to entertain us (in the 2010 friendly in Toronto, Del Piero did not take the field even after many chants from the 21,000+ crowd), but kids trying to find their place on the field.
I have absolutely no problem at all with the MLS all-star game. It has been surprisingly entertaining the last few years, and I think its a great idea to have the MLS all-stars face the reigning European Champions every summer. You could tell last night the MLS players were trying, and Chelsea wasnt walking around neither.
I remember fantasizing as a kid of the Champions League finals being hosted in the Skydome (and Juve winning it of course). Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds...to have a European Cup final not in Europe. Which is why I was a child at the time. But where I am going with this is that why can't Toronto host the FIFA Club World Cup?
The Italian Super Cup has been hosted in somewhere other than Italy 5 times in the last 10 years. I am sure that if this years Italian Super Cup between Napoli and Juve were held in Toronto or Montreal it would have been a sellout. Instead they are off to China at the Beijing National Stadium in.....wait for it.....Beijing!
This same stadium has hosted the competition in 2009 and 2011. Last season it was full sellout of 80, 000! This is expected to be the same. So who can blame the teams or League for going for the money, thats the name of the game.
Marketers beware if you plan on bringing Juventus back and expect us to pay those high prices, know that if the buyer doesn't recieve what they expected, not playing the stars you advertised to us or these non competitive matches, it won't sell. Simply because.....
We Want Something Real.
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