Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

With Paul Pogba out of the picture and Nicolò Fagioli potentially facing a ban too, Juventus will have to intervene in the midfield in January.

Juventus Assessing January Option to Restore Midfield

October 13, 2023 Enrico Passarella Borussia Moenchengladbach, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Ligue 1, Monaco, Nice, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Tottenham, Transfer Market

With Paul Pogba out of the picture and Nicolò Fagioli potentially facing a ban too, Juventus will have to intervene in the midfield in January. Their list of targets for the role is growing quickly. As their directors stated, they’ll hunt for opportunities.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has pressed pause on other candidates to see whether he really has a chance to appoint Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gasperini Dishes on De Ketelaere, Scamacca, and Lookman

October 13, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Atalanta, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Transfer Market

Gian Piero Gasperini commented on a few of his players following the first stretch of the season: "Charles De Ketelaere has some traits I’m convinced I can work on. He’s highly regarded already, so he was an easy bet. I saw him as a striker right away."

Juventus are in advanced talks to extend the contract of Nicolò Fagioli despite his seven-month suspension. The signature is expected to arrive soon.

Betting Scandal Poised to Extend to a Few More Players

October 13, 2023 Enrico Passarella Aston Villa, Italian Football, Juventus, Newcastle United, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

The illegal betting case embroiling Nicolò Fagioli, Sandro Tonali, and Nicolò Zaniolo is set to expand to further players. Differently from the previous ones that have rocked Italian football in recent decades, there’s no suspicion of match-fixing. Still, its ramifications from the sporting standpoint risk being hefty.

Bayern Munich exec Karl-Heinze Rummenigge addressed the talks between the two sides last summer when the Nerazzurri acquired Pavard and Sommer.

Rummenigge Dishes on Summer Negotiations with Inter

October 13, 2023 Enrico Passarella Bayern Munich, Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Bayern Munich exec and Inter legend Karl-Heinze Rummenigge addressed the talks between the two sides last summer when the Nerazzurri successfully acquired Benjamin Pavard and Yann Sommer. He attended a sports festival in Trento: "They didn’t pay a lot for the defender but rather the right price."

The Milan midfield is still reeling from the loss of Sandro Tonali, who was sold to Newcastle United for a boatload of money last summer.

Illegal Gambling Case Expands to Tonali and Zaniolo

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Aston Villa, Italian Football, Newcastle United, Premier League, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Two Italy and Premier League stars, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Zaniolo, have been excused by the Azzurri and after the police showed up at the Coverciano HQ to notify them of the investigation on illegal gambling. The two talked with the detectives for a while accompanied by delegation leader Gianluigi Buffon.

Matias Soulé was reportedly up for sale last summer but preferred going out on loan rather than leaving permanently. His stubborness will help Juventus.

Juventus Enjoying Soulé Blossoming with Frosinone

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Frosinone, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Matias Soulé was reportedly up for sale last summer but preferred going out on loan rather than leaving permanently. Juventus will benefit from his stubbornness down the line. The Bianconeri dangled him in the talks to lure Domenico Berardi and mulled the offers, as they wanted to bring in cash.

Milan have been tipped to go after a few strikers to have a more credible Olivier Giroud deputy. Their plans for the position aren’t yet set in stone.

Milan Looking to Sort Out Their Short-Term Contracts

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

The contracts of five Milan veterans expire at the end of the season. While there are no Hakan Calhanoglu or Gianluigi Donnarumma this time around, who left for free while having considerable valuations, the Rossoneri wish to sort their situations sooner rather than later.

Robin Gosens recounted his busy summer, when he left Inter to join Union Berlin: "Two things were clear to me. The odds of being a starter were low."

Gosens Explains How His Inter Departure Came to Be

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Transfer Market

Robin Gosens recounted his busy summer, when he left Inter to join Union Berlin: "Two things were clear to me. The odds of being a starter were relatively low. Staying put would have been dissatisfying from a sporting standpoint but the best choice for my family.”

Napoli are in a pickle as Antonio Conte refused their offer to substitute for Rudi Garcia. They are leaning toward confirming Rudi Garcia.

Napoli Seek Ways to Get Out of Their Coaching Fiasco

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Napoli are in a pickle as Antonio Conte refused their offer to substitute for Rudi Garcia. They are leaning toward confirming Rudi Garcia. The ex-Juventus legend was the only truly compelling option, even though agents and intermediaries proposed a few more names.

Juventus have lined up yet another extension, as they are considering adding at least a couple of years to the contract of Weston McKennie.

McKennie Happy for Staying Put at Juventus Last Summer

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Transfer Market

Weston McKennie was tipped to depart again last summer following a loan spell at Leeds United, which didn’t buy him out because of their relegation. However, the offers were sufficient, and he earned a considerable role afterward: “I see myself as a box-to-box midfielder."

While Nicolò Fagioli finalized his suspension and Sandro Tonali will do the same shortly, it’ll be a while before the position of Nicolò Zaniolo is sorted.

Zaniolo Disappointed with How Things Ended with Roma

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Aston Villa, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Premier League, Roma, Serie A, Transfer Market

Nicolò Zaniolo transferred from Galatasaray to Aston Villa last summer, and he’s searching for his first goal contribution after nine appearances: “I don’t want to name names nor wage a war on the media. But things could have ended differently. I have great affection for them."

Inter are among the many sides eyeing Santiago Gimenez, who’s filling his boots with Feyenoord, but signing him will be complicated.

Inter Reportedly Tracking Prolific Feyenoord Forward

October 12, 2023 Enrico Passarella Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, La Liga, Real Madrid, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Tottenham, Transfer Market

Inter are among the many sides tracking Santiago Gimenez, who’s filling his boots with Feyenoord, but signing him will be complicated, considering the competition and his rapidly increasing price tag. Lazio tried to acquire him last summer before onboarding Taty Castellanos, but his team asked for €25M.

Author: Enrico Passarella