Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Napoli came within an inch to signing Mathias Olivera in January, but Getafe did not let him go, and Juventus have joined the fray.

Juventus Join Race with Napoli to Purchase Getafe Left-Back

March 9, 2022 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli, Serie A, Transfer Market

Napoli came within an inch to signing Mathias Olivera in January, but Getafe did not let him go, and Juventus have joined the fray. The Bianconeri are scouting multiple options for the position as they are eager to move on from Alex Sandro. The Uruguayan left-back has a €20M release clause in his contract with Los Azulones.

Juventus have acted swiftly to replace Matthijs De Ligt, as they struck a deal with Torino for Gleison Bremer. The defender seemed destined to Inter.

Milan Have Potential Bargaining Chip to Help Signing Bremer

March 9, 2022 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Torino, Transfer Market, Venezia

Mattia Caldara is experiencing a bounce-back season at Venezia, but he will likely head back to Milan in the summer. The Lagunari do not plan to pick up their €4M option to keep him. The Rossoneri might wind up keeping him, but they are already receiving some inquiries for the future, in particular from Torino.

Napoli are in the market for new defenders as they are unlikely to keep Axel Tuanzebe, and they have set their sights toward Southampton.

Napoli Express Early Interest in Two Southampton Defenders

March 9, 2022 Enrico Passarella Barcelona, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Manchester United, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Transfer Market

Napoli are in the market for new defenders as they are unlikely to keep Axel Tuanzebe, and they have set their sights toward Southampton. The Partenopei are gearing up for a busy summer where they will bid farewell to multiple staples. They are looking to bring in fairly young players that could grow in the next few years.

The future of Paulo Dybala remains largely undetermined, which leaves an opening for all suitors, including Roma, which are not among the favorites.

Dybala Keen on Staying but Juventus Will Table Lower Offer

March 9, 2022 Enrico Passarella Barcelona, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Juventus, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Transfer Market

Barring a late scheduling change, Juventus and Jorge Antun, the agent of Paulo Dybala, will meet tomorrow to discuss the extension for the first time in months. The atmosphere between the parties is rather tense. It is unlikely that a resolution will come right away Thursday, but the next few days will be crucial for his future.

Roma signed Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal in January to address their depth problems on the flanks, but he has not lived up to expectations.

Roma Likely to Move On from Arsenal Loanee After the Season

March 9, 2022 Enrico Passarella Arsenal, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Transfer Market

Roma signed Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal in January to address their depth problems on the flanks. However, he has not had the impact they were hoping for. The Englishman has logged just six appearances for a total of 433 minutes. His playing time has dwindled after getting a few starts right off the bat.

PSG continue to eye Serie A to find a defender, as they are tracking Pierre Kalulu as a possible alternative to Milan Skriniar.

Milan Pleased with Kalulu Growth, New Contract Forthcoming

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Transfer Market

Pierre Kalulu has been the main beneficiary from the fact that Milan did not sign a new defender in January. The Rossoneri insistently pursued Sven Botman and other options but opted to stand pat. The youngster has repaid their trust and had an impressive outing while going mano-a-mano with Victor Osimhen in Sunday’s clash.

Serie A has quickly adopted FIFA's decision to allow players in Ukraine and Russia to transfer because of the ongoing war.

Serie A Abides by FIFA on Players from Russia and Ukraine

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella Atalanta, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022, Transfer Market

Serie A has quickly adopted FIFA's decision to allow players in Ukraine and Russia to transfer because of the ongoing war. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, the market will re-open on March 10th, although with multiple caveats. Atalanta have quickly started eyeing a Shakhtar Donetsk striker given their current woes.

Lazio will go through a significant overhau of the roster in the summer and opened talks to sign two Atalanta players, Pierluigi Gollini and Matteo Pessina.

Lazio Hold Preliminary Meeting to Acquire Atalanta Pair

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella Atalanta, Italian Football, Lazio, Serie A, Tottenham

Lazio will go through a significant overhaul of the roster in the summer and have opened talks to sign two Atalanta players, Pierluigi Gollini and Matteo Pessina. Director Igli Tare recently met with Giuseppe Riso, the agent of the Italian duo. The Biancocelesti are tracking a few goalkeepers, while La Dea want to keep the midfielder.

PSG has laid their eyes on Lucas Paquetá, and the deal could have positive ramifications for Milan. The Rossoneri would cash in a sizeable percentage.

Milan Would Benefit from PSG Signing Reject Thriving at Lyon

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Lyon, PSG, Serie A, Transfer Market

PSG have laid their eyes on Lucas Paquetá, and the deal could have positive ramifications for Milan as well. The Rossoneri would cash in a sizeable percentage from his sale as per the previous agreement with Olympique Lyonnais. The midfielder has turned his career around in France after flopping in Serie A.

José Mourinho is eager to win the European Conference League, where Roma are considered the frontrunners by the bookmakers.

Mourinho Has Begun Lifting Roma through Narrow Victories

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022

Roma have quietly found consistency after some glaring ebbs and flows in the first few months under José Mourinho. They have not lost in seven straight matches, prevailing in four of them. They garnered their second victory against a big team Sunday. Both have come at the expense of Atalanta.

On top of previewing the game versus Viktoria Plzen, Simone Inzaghi sent a message to the management stressing that many contract renewals are pending,

Inter Slated to Extend Contract of Coach Simone Inzaghi

March 8, 2022 Enrico Passarella Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2021-2022

Simone Inzaghi has drawn the interest of major foreign clubs, but Inter have no plans to let him leave. His contract extension is already in the works and will be finalized at the end of the season. He is currently tied to the club until June 2023, but he is poised for a multi-year cycle with the Nerazzurri.

Maxime Lopez is coming off a solid season and has attracted interest, although the negotiation for him to depart Sassuolo are in their early stages.

Sarri Advises Lazio to Pursue Brilliant Sassuolo Midfielder

March 7, 2022 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Lazio, Sassuolo, Serie A, Transfer Market

Maurizio Sarri has relied on brilliant playmakers throughout his career and has indicated Maxime Lopez as the ideal piece to add to his Lazio squad. The gaffer has made do with Lucas Leiva and Danilo Cataldi so far. However, he would like to sign a more technical player in the role in the summer.

Author: Enrico Passarella