[m1ke]

Italy Under-20 defender Andrea Ranocchia is expected to find a Serie A club this summer and has asserted that his heart is set on joining Milan.

Ranocchia is currently plying his trade with Serie C outfit Arezzo, but is seen by many as one of Italy’s hottest defensive prospects.

The 20-year-old was expected to join Fiorentina in January, but the Viola’s failure to secure his signature could prove to be Milan’s gain.

“Fiorentina’s option to buy my rights ran out in January and nothing happened,” Ranocchia explained. “Therefore I am on stand-by, given that there is interest from other sides.

“If not Fiorentina, then I want to join another top-flight side where I would get a game. But if I could choose, I would go to Milan.

“However, I would stay at Arezzo if they climbed back to Serie B because I love wearing the Granata shirt.”

Milan will look to rejuvenate their ageing defence at the end of the campaign and Ranocchia may be one of their investments for the future.

(IMG:http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/serie_b_2007/risorse_calcio/foto_calciatori/arezzo/giocatori/ranocchia_and.jpg)

[m1ke]

I can't find much information on this guy - has anyone see him play? I found this though:

Gazzetta Print Italy’s 2014 World Cup Team

La Gazzetta dello Sport has printed the team that they believe could line-up for Italy at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The Azzurri currently have the most promising crop of youngsters coming through, possibly since the mid-1980s when the likes of Paolo Maldini, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, Roberto Donadoni, Riccardo Ferri and Ciro Ferrara were all starting to make their mark.

The Gazzetta have attempted to select a team of players all born after 1986, and by these rules, in 2014, the on-loan Rimini goalkeeper Andrea Consigli will be between the sticks, protected by a back-four of Lazio’s Lorenzo De Silvestri, Arezzo’s Andrea Ranocchia, and the Juventus-owned duo of Domenico Criscito and Paolo De Ceglie.

In midfield will be the incredibly skilful Andrea Russotto of Treviso and Parma’s Daniele Dessena, with Siena’s Fernando Forestieri, Pisa’s Alessio Cerci and Inter’s Mario Balotelli supporting Milan teenage hero Alberto Paloschi.

On the bench there is also a multitude of talent with Juve-owned Sebastian Giovinco, Parma’s Luca Cigarini and Cagliari’s Robert Acquafresca all surprisingly overlooked for a starting place. Villarreal's Giuseppe Rossi was not chosen at all.

The rest of the subs bench would be made up by: Alfonso (1988, Venezia); Bastrini (1987, Modena), Bolzoni (1989, Inter), Giovinco, Di Gennaro (1988, Bologna), Paonessa (1987, Avellino).