Football Italia: Season 7 – Wheeling & Dealing

Season Seven: Wheeling and dealing

Going to push this update out a little earlier than intended, with only five league games played, but, instead – a much greater focus on the transfer dealings as, despite our lofty league position, I felt a sense of concern, simply because the players I wanted to sign now would be needed for this season and next. Serie A quality is hard to come by on a €0.6m budget, but, of course, after I’d made all of the dealings, in mid-January, the board sat me down and agreed to give me some more money, which I balanced between the transfer and wage budget, but barely touched. It’s worth noting that, of the €50m pumped into the club, a mere €35m is left, but this does account for substantial upgrades off the pitch. Another sign that, honestly, I wouldn’t be able to be doing what I’m doing without these investors from the far East!

I had to raise funds and, to do that, I moved on two players who I was unsure about their long term credentials and a youngster, all for pure profit:

 

• Luca Langoni – €2.5m
• Javi Montero – €210k
• Alessandro Galli – €150k

Luca had been pretty good, if a little one dimensional, for me since his arrival. A €2.5m non-promotion clause was triggered and, with him moving to Saudi Arabia, I doubt we’ll ever see him on this continent again. Javi was a free transfer a couple of years ago and also moves to the middle East where he’ll be enjoying an early retirement but will be bringing in some important funds at the same time. Alessandro never played for the first team so represents a nice profit after signing a couple of years ago.

The replacements are as follows:

 

Daniel Maldini  joined on loan to temporarily fill the gap left by Langoni. With Colidio also on loan, I expect that this in an area that will need some significant looking at over the summer. An optional fee of €6m will unlikely be met but I’m a massive fan of looking at what his traits will bring to this role. His coach report is decent, if not outstanding, and he’ll become a decent option off the bench. For this deal, I didn’t use the DoF to negotiate, given the clauses added to the loan deal, and my worry that – if not – we’d have been paying all of his €20k p/w contract.

Mattia Viti, who was a DoF deal, becomes a Messina player after we shattered our record transfer, which stood for 27 years. I kept him on my target list after we failed on him two summers ago, ending with Lautaro Valenti instead. He really didn’t settle with Championship side Blackburn but, as per his coach report, I’m delighted to have a man of his quality who is consistent, spirited and enjoys big matches, plus, at 28, has at least four or five years left in him. I’ve never had a listed ‘late developer’ but, with only 127 career apps, to date, I really think he’s got enough left in his legs to push and resurrect a career that, honestly, has never really got started after a €12m move to Nice.

With Bernabei not getting many minutes as a left wing back and us paying €90k pcm for the pleasure of that, I felt like it was a good time to get someone in permanently. With Venezia in all kinds of financial issues, I was able to get the DoF team to swoop for Franco Carboni – a man I’ve tracked for a couple of years now – for just €250k. Normally, I have reservations about ‘weak’ footed players, particularly as Santos has found so much joy in that inside left channel, being able to use his right foot to some extent. With that in mind, I’m going to teach Carboni to move the ball to his left before dribbling and avoid using his weaker foot. The intention here is to create a one or another option on the left wing back slot – Santos can attack and come inside, Carboni can attack and stay wide. It’s these options that are important as I micromanage our fixture list and in game changes. His coach report is strong and I’ve got a man, in the peak of his career, who can definitely do a job next year, all for a fraction of his market value. Strong shopping!

The last deal is built completely from the excitement that Pedro Santos has brought me this year. Mateus Fernandes – another Portuguese attacking midfielder – joins for a tiny fee. I was researching him on transfermarkt, and was unaware he’d just moved to Southampton for €15m. A really strong coach report and, in my eyes, the perfect profile for that creative wingback/winger role, I was delighted that my team got him for so cheap and on a wage of just €6.5k p/w. With this being the opposite to the Carboni deal, I now have two different wing back options for either side – two more defensive profiles and two creative wide men, who will surely combine to unlock defences even more than they’re already doing!

That leaves my first team squad, of 21 men, looking like this:

The question marks now only remain over Fernandes – new to the role – as well as Colidio and Maldini, given that they’re not on permanent deals with us and, whilst spending the combined €16m on two 30 year olds would present us with good acquisition of experience, may be more than we are even afforded. I feel that there are some fantastic options within this squad now and I want to give them half a season together to gel before we look at the real marginal gains over the summer.

– – –

I have also boosted the youth ranks with Boubacar Guindo, a real star in the making, on a free transfer. His coach report is promising and I’ll use mentoring group to try and pass on the key traits that might make him the next on the production line of deep midfielders. With Traore in the youth team, too, I’m potentially growing Mali’s midfield for the coming years! Also arriving was Guille Fuentes, almost the perfect False Nine, for a fee of €150k. My scouts have been working really well in Spain and his coach report suggests he could become really good, too. As his game is a lot more developed – in terms of traits anyway – than Guindo, he’s moved out on loan, joining a host of other youngsters.

I was given the choice of a feeder but, once I saw that ex-player Valerio Verre had taken over at Palmese, a club located in Palmi – just across the Straight of Messina, I had to choose them. Currently in the (unloaded) Eccellenza, I’ve sent them a bunch of decent lads in order to get them into Serie D, where my development plans can really take off. I’ve noted that, with older players, such as Nicolino and Cassano, that they’ve kicked on so much by just getting exposed to first team football, that this is a great step in their development if they’re not going to necessarily make it with me.

Elsewhere, a new deal has been set up with Rudes, in the Croatian top flight, who are managed by Dario Srna. They’re a bit of a yo-yo side and are currently bottom but, strangely, the level they’re at is better than Serie B so provides a great proving ground for some of my more rounded youth players and, honestly, those I am looking to get into the shop window as I don’t think they’ll make it with us. Even if they get relegated, I’m going to look at using them again next year, giving players a chance at player in a high-performing unit that will, surely, be expected to make a return to the top tier.

– – –

With just five games played, it has been more of the same on the pitch:

With his double against ‘Doria, Owusu has become our record scorer; certainly not a bad accolade for a lad of his age. Four non-clean sheets in five does feel a bit of a drop in performances but our standing in the league table is still just as commanding and I can’t see us slowly down any time soon.

With a stronger squad and still some elements of playing for their futures, I’m supremely positive about what is to come this season! Forza Biancoscudati!