I'd take only Kovacic. If we're going to spend a lot this summer let's spend it wisely instead of going after the next Bertolacci.

Sortmediaset says Galliani was in Zagreb today where he met Pjaca's agent. We've offered around 20 million, more than anyone.

I will wait for an official announcement before getting too excited. But it feels like we are heading in the right direction. All depends on how much say Galliani actually has on the market. Also, as usual the challenge will be getting rid of our over-paid mediocre players.

Football-Italia is running a story saying Pjaca's bid has been accepted and Dortmund are the only competition. We're offering 20 MM with 5 MM as bonuses.

Dortmund being excited actually leads me to think this might be a good purchase! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm hoping we are now going to see a renaissance of Galliani the transfer master. There was a time when we had the cash flowing that Galliani was untouchable. That was 6 years ago but still...

Really? You wouldn't take Valero or Andre Gomes if we had the chance?

Plus I think Kovacic is a totally different type of mid to the others mentioned. Paredes, Valero and Andre Gomes are all pure CMs (regista types) Kovacic can play as an AM or as a side mid in a more attacking capacity.

I think we need both types of mids in our midfield, it can’t be just one or we’re stuck with Monto, Kucka or Bertolacci again and if we want to do better next season we need better players in there.

I’d take Kovacic definitely and Valero would be a short term solution until we find someone to make that spot his own for the next 10 years. But I don’t think that can happen this summer which is why Valero would be a smart move imo


6 years is an understatement. Galliani has been going downhill for a while now. Probably coinciding with the sale of Sheva, that’s how long we’ve been on a downhill slope. The spree in 2010 was nothing more than smoked and mirrors as we were forced to sell up only 2 summers later. Galliani was given money last summer and he flushed it down the toilet.

This summer though he will be tempered and there will be someone who is part of the Chinese consortium (Gancikoff) who will also have a major say. This isn’t Galliani running around with Berlu’s cash anymore, doing whatever he likes with it (mostly trying to please his friends like Kia, Raiola and Preziosi), this time he’ll have people to answer to, and I can’t imagine that he’ll be here for long should he have a summer similar to the last.

We have been buying high and selling low for a while now. For example, Juve make top dollar for the players they don’t want (let’s not get into how we financed their move for Tevez by buying Matri…), it’s being rumored now that Werder Bremen could make an offer of nearly 30m for Zaza (FFS!!), while we’re most likely to sell Bacca for that same price. We overpaid massively for Bertolacci who had done nothing prior to having a half decent season with Genoa. The only good move we made last summer was Romagnoli imo. The rest were ill-advised, and over-priced mistakes imo.

Here are a couple of tidbits from the twitter-sphere this morning

What makes me a bit unconfortable is that we're about to spill almost 50M for two talented but still risky players. Pjaca has talent and footballing intelligence, but I'm not sure how good he is. It's very hard to judge a player playing our league and only a handful of CL or important games. This can turn easily one way or the other.

As for Mussachio - this makes me even more skeptical. Sure potential. But what we really need is a complete defender, a leader of defense who could lead Romagnoli and command us. Can that be Mussachio? I doubt it.

Bottom line is, we we'll get two prospects for 50M. Which leaves still the midfield to be sorted out, still a commanding defender missing and still at least one extra player missing. Because we need such a player to reach a new level.

At this stage, I think we need to take a bit of a chance on younger players. We are not going to attract established top talent, not until we get back to European competition.

I don't think they're much better from what we currently have.

Apparently we're close to signing Jose Sosa (31) from Besiktas. Source: Gazzetta

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Who? Valero and Kovačić? They are miles, miles better. The only true organizer we have is Montolivo, whom you don't rate at all if I remember correctly. Having two more creative players would be a vast improvement.


Must be a pre-sale story now published just for the sake of it.

Agreed, but I can't see how Musacchio and Romagnoli could work. Younger players is okay, as long as you have a good/solid defensive leader and one player with class. We lack both. And I don't think we're so bad we cannot attract at least someone in that range.

But could somebody explain the logic in selling Bacca to me?

He's an aging, one footed, poacher (all be it a very good one) whose value will likely only decrease from here on out. It's possible he doesn't fit into Montella's plans.

^^ Yes, more or less.

He's 30. His limitations have become quite visible and most importantly I read that the new coach wants a different type of player.

The bid from West Ham makes it convenient because most players would accept a move to London and it's a win-win.

Our forwards situation is still very dense remember; We have Matri, Menez, Lapadula, Niang, Luiz Adriano, Suso, Bacca and I don't know if anyone from the Primavera is stepping up. Plus Pjaca is a possibility.

We need to shed a lot of weight and probably come down to 4 or 5 forwards (if we're playing 4-3-3).

I'm still not convinced.

Last time I checked this man scored almost 20 goals, playing for a team with little creative force and idea. You made a list of our strikers, but failed to mention that 2/3 of the named players are completely useless. Don't tell me Montella is one of those coaches who doesn't pick regular strikers in his team. Look how that turned out for Germany yesterday.

Suso isn't a striker. Menez, Matri and Adriano are sub-par and should leave. This leaves us to one mid-age Serie B striker and perhaps Pjaca who's everything but a classic prima punta. To crack the various Chievo's and Cagliari's of Serie A, you still need that kind of a striker.

All in all - selling Bacca creates more problems IMO. And it solves little.

Kocacic yes, I already said that. However, I don't rate Valero that highly.



Agreed. Inter signed Milito when he was 30, we signed Pippo when ge was 30, Juve signed Tevez when he was 30 and so on. Look how those deals turned out. Age isn't always an issue. Bacca has shown that he can score 20 goals with little to no service. He's a really good striker and it'd be madness to sell him now.