It’s now official: the winter transfer window has opened its doors in most major European championships, including Italy. Once again, Serie A will punctuate a good part of the coming weeks, while all Italian clubs are still competing in a European competition. Many major Italian teams will benefit from this turbulent period on the transfer market. Especially since this transfer window is a bit special for Italian football since the government of Giorgia Meloni has signaled the end of the decree crescita (growth decree). Scheduled for December 31, 2023, the expiration of this real fiscal boost aimed at stimulating economic recovery and allowing, in particular, to exempt from tax 50% of the salaried income of foreign players, should considerably change the situation in the landscape of Italian football. Many players put Italy at their feet and the names of Teun Koopmeiners, Joshua Zirkzee, Lazar Samardžić, Lewis Ferguson, Giorgio Scalvini, Samuele Ricci, Radu Drăgușin and Alessandro Buongiorno continue to attract the desire of the big teams.
Construction site in the middle for Juventus
Not participating in any European competition this season, Juventus is betting everything on the championship and the cup. And Massimiliano Allegri’s players had a very good first part of the season. Indeed, the Old Lady is in 2nd place in the ranking, just two points behind leader Inter but with a clear lead over AC Milan. If the Bianconeri want to overtake the Nerazzurri, they will need some reinforcements to ensure at least a trophy this year, while they are still in the Coppa race with a round of 16 to play against Salernitana. According to the latest information from Italy, the main construction site remains the midfield for Juventus. As a result, the new Turin management, led by Crisitano Giuntoli, targeted several profiles to improve the midfield. The dream has long been Udinese’s Serbian international Lazar Samardžić, but the track has now completely disappeared due to economic problems. Negotiations for Kalvin Phillips and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remain stalled. As we revealed to you exclusively earlier in the year, Teun Koopmeiners also represents a serious avenue but it still seems too early for the Old Lady to be able to meet Atalanta’s economic expectations. Same story for the Brazilian midfielder of the Dea, Ederson, also surveyed by Juventus. We will now see where Juventus will find its solid additions, while low-cost ideas begin to emerge, notably those leading to Morten Frendrup, Andrea Colpani and Sandi Lovric, according to our indiscretions.
Redo the barbed wire at AC Milan
Samuel Chukwueze, Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Noah Okafor, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijjani Reijnders, Marco Sportiello, Luka Romero… One thing is certain: AC Milan was not idle during the last summer transfer window to strengthen its ranks, with the new management around Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada. Unfortunately, everything did not go as planned and the Rossoneri need more than ever adjustments in their squad to find good colors because despite a 3rd place, the Lombard club is seven points behind its Milanese rival. In this sense, Milan is mentioned in rumors to strengthen several lines, in particular the defense which remains the main winter objective. If Clément Lenglet was once coveted and still remains a serious prospect, the management has two other names in mind. Following the logic of the signing of Fikayo Tomori in 2021, Milan are turning to the Premier League to strengthen their rearguard with Lloyd Kelly and Jakub Kiwior targeted, according to our information. Full-back Juan Miranda from Betis and midfielder Hamed Junior Traorè from Bournemouth are also coveted. Just like striker Serhou Guirassy but the competition promises to be very tough. Meanwhile, the leaders are also working on the upcoming arrival of Filippo Terracciano, from Verona. This transfer window is in any case crucial for the Rossoneri, in the grip of a crisis with the shadow of a dismissal of Stefano Pioli looming on the horizon.
Final adjustments for Inter
Leaders of Serie A, Inter Milan will also have to make their way in the Champions League as they inherited a complicated round of 16 against Atlético de Madrid. To achieve their goals, Lombard leaders have decided to activate the transfer market this winter, despite non-flexible finances in the red. And for several days, the name of Tajon Buchanan has come up insistently. Author of a convincing first part of the exercise with Club Bruges (3 goals and 4 assists in 20 appearances in all competitions), the Canadian is capable of playing as a right midfielder or as a right piston. Targeted by the Nerazzurri, he finally passed his medical examination this Thursday. His transfer will cost Milan management around 7 million euros and formalization remains imminent. But the Lombard club has not said its last word on the market and continues to work on several fronts. Negotiations continue with LOSC for the free arrival of Tiago Djaló next summer, at the end of his contract in 6 months. Last big file in progress: the Polish midfielder, Piotr Zieliński, who should join Inter in July after the end of his lease with Napoli. Even if he repeated his attachment to the Partenopei, the Pole should pack his bags for the Nerazzurri in 6 months.
Napoli in search of solutions
Author of an eventful and more than disappointing season for the title holders, Napoli, now coached by Walter Mazzarri after the ousting of Rudi Garcia, must strike big blows in the winter transfer window, if the management around the president Aurelio De Laurentiis wants to save this championship campaign. The biggest mission will be to (finally) lock down the signing of Serbian international, Lazar Samardžić. Negotiations continue between the two clubs: Udinese demands 25 million, Napoli wants to reduce the amount to 20 million. But the Partenopei already have contractual agreements with the player and his entourage. Samardžić’s father and representative arrived in Italy to complete the deal in the coming days. In other major Neapolitan files, the arrival of Pasquale Mazzocchi from Salernitana is almost assured, while the Neapolitan club continues to look for reinforcements in defense with a list of targets made up of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior. But according to our information, Naples still dreams of Giorgio Scalvini but Atalanta is asking too much, while major Premier League and Bundesliga teams are also eyeing the young Italian defender. Aurelio De Laurentiis therefore wanted to set his sights on Radu Drăgușin but here too, the competition is difficult to challenge with Tottenham on top, even if Naples does not give up. Young Martin Vitík from Sparta Prague is an alternative for the Neapolitans. In any case, the president promised movements and a large envelope to spend: “Everything that has happened so far is my responsibility. All the fault should not lie with the players or the coaches but only with me. I have to apologize to the Neapolitans, to the supporters if we are there in the standings. The championship is still long, we will move forward with the transfer window”
Roman clubs want to bounce back
In the capital too, the two Rome clubs must do some shopping to hope to move up the rankings since the Giallorossi are in 7th place, not far ahead of the disappointing Biancocelesti in 9th position. With the injury of Chris Smalling and the call-up of Evan Ndicka with Ivory Coast for the CAN, AS Roma is focusing its winter market on defensive reinforcements. A coveted time, the trail leading to Leonardo Bonucci seems definitively abandoned after the rumble of fans. Today, the plans B set are Eric Dier from Tottenham, Ben Gofrey from Everton, Arthur Theate from Stade Rennais but especially Radu Drăgușin from Genoa, definitely very popular with the big Italian clubs. But to buy, Roma will have to sell or cut loans and Renato Sanches, Andrea Belotti and Leonardo Spinazzola could pay the price. The latter is also discussing with Galatasaray, while he still refuses to extend his lease, according to our indiscretions. On the Lazio side, the winter could nevertheless be quite calm in terms of arrivals but if Ciro Immobile were to be sold, then an attacker could go the opposite way. However, Maurizio Sarri is calling for some reinforcements. The Laziali contacted Antonio Candreva’s entourage, while the management dreams of convincing Giovanni Simeone to leave Napoli. Wilfried Gnonto is also being considered to bring in some new blood in attack, as is Bournemouth’s Hamed Junior Traorè who has several Italian clubs on his tail. Also note that the Roman Eagle and Wolf are competing for the young Argentine defender of Boca Junior, Nicolás Valentini.
