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Going, going (but still not) gone - Serie A players to watch before the transfer window closes

Going, going (but still not) gone - Serie A players to watch before the transfer window closes

Seems hard to believe but we’re already in the final stretch of the transfer window. So far this summer we saw Roma start a revolution under new sporting director Monchi, Milan poaching one of Juventus’ best players in Bonucci and Inter sign half of Fiorentina’s starting midfield- and while many top teams have undergone significant changes, Napoli may end up being rewarded by just going with continuity, especially considering how many talented young players they have.
With three more weeks to go, let’s take a look at some Serie A players expected to be in the transfer news headlines: 
 
Carlos Bacca- just last January the Colombian striker turned down a rich offer from China to stay at Milan, the club he grew up supporting. While Bacca did make some (minor) contributions to the rossoneri’s run to clinch a Europa League play-off spot, at this point they probably wish he had accepted that move to Asia. 
 
Between Patrick Cutrone’s impressive play this summer, Andre Silva’s arrival and Milan’s ongoing pursuit of another big name striker- Bacca is as available as a spot in Trump’s State department. While Bacca has scored over 30 goals in two Serie A seasons, it could be a challenge to find a team willing to pay €15/20 million for a pure poacher (a nice way of saying he is exclusively a finisher) who will turn 31 in September.


 
Andrea Belotti- while Milan’s directors Fassone and Mirabelli are working hard to land a big name striker to help Andre Silva ease into Serie A, they have already crossed off Il Gallo from their shopping list. With the World Cup just a year away, staying at Torino- especially after the granata retained all of their best midfielders and wingers- isn’t the worse outcome for Belotti, and while Atletico Madrid came close to matching the €100 million exit clause in his contract, Torino’s president Cairo has kept his word that he wouldn't sell his most valued asset for anything less than the sticker price.


 
Alex Sandro- after already losing Leonardo Bonucci and Dani Alves could Juventus really see a third defensive starter leave Turin? Antonio Conte has been adamant that he needs more reinforcements to defend the Premier League title and make a serious run in the Champions League, and the talented Brazilian left back would be an upgrade for almost any team in the world.
 
Here are some factors to keep in mind- Chelsea has been known for making additions in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, and while Allegri has publicly stated that Alex Sandro is off the market, not that long ago he told the media that Bonucci was ready to become Juventus’ next leader. But unless Alex Sandro pushes for a move, and at this time there’s no indication that he has, he will likely stay at Juventus at least for one more season.

 
Geoffrey Kondogbia- after Gagliardini arrived last January, this summer Inter acquired Vecino and Borja Valero to reinvent their midfield. As a result, the former Monaco player could be on his way out this summer- but just like with Bacca, because of the considerable investment to acquire him, Inter will have to get a big return to avoid taking a loss on their books. 
 
Kondogbia is still only 24, and considering the strong competition on France’s national team, he will likely push for an opportunity to revive his career. He could end up being a very shrewd acquisition for the right team considering all of the other players that left Inter only to strive elsewhere.

 
Juan Iturbe- hard to believe but just three summers ago the Paraguayan winger was the most expensive acquisition in Serie A. Iturbe has only scored 5 goals for the giallorossi since then, and loan deals to Bournemouth and Torino didn't help in re- establishing his value.
 
Iturbe has spent the summer retreat with Roma to see if new manager Eusebio Di Francesco could get him going, but it’s likely that he will be loaned out before the window closes- he could be an intriguing option for a newly promoted Serie A club or a team in South America. 

 
Leonardo Pavoletti- while Napoli has made many shrewd moves signing many intriguing young players in recent years (Jorginho, Diawara, Rog, Zielinsky, Hysaj) they haven’t done as well with veterans. Last summer they invested heavily in Nikola Maksimovic and Lorenzo Tonelli, and in January they acquired Pavoletti from Genoa for a reported fee of €18 million.
 
While Napoli needed depth up front after Milik’s knee injury, Pavoletti was just an after thought for Sarri- he only appeared in six matches. The former Genoa striker will likely be on his way out before the window closes- he’s been linked to Lazio and more recently Udinese. 

 
Keita Balde- the former Barcelona youth team product is coming off an excellent season, and with just one year left on his contract he has a lot of leverage. Despite Juventus’ depth up front, Keita is pushing to join the bianconeri- but the stumbling block is the contentious relationship between Lazio’s president Lotito and the current Serie A champions.
 
Inter had also expressed interest but between fact that it appears that both Antonio Candreva and Ivan Perisic are staying, on top of Emre Mor’s expected arrival, it doesn't look like they will make another attempt to sign Keita. While Juventus could just wait for Keita Balde’s contract to expire and sign him on a free transfer in 2018, taking this more passive approach cost them dearly like with Axel Witsel- which is why they plan on trying to negotiate with Lazio by the end of the week.

 
Stevan Jovetic/Patrik Schick- while the former Manchester City striker has shown flashes at Inter, he hasn't been able to fully establish himself. After spending last season on loan at Sevilla, he will likely be on the move again before the window closes- he could head to Marseille who are shopping for a striker or return to Fiorentina on loan as long as Inter are willing to pay part of his salary.
 
While Inter may lose to Juventus in the race for Keita Balde, they could get some revenge by signing Patrik Schick who wasn't able to pass a medical for the bianconeri earlier this summer. The Sampdoria striker spent a few weeks resting, and could end up becoming a devastating weapon off the bench for Luciano Spalletti.




David Amoyal