Five Possible Bargains for the Final Week of the Window

Considering the lingering sagas all over the joint, the final week of the window will likely have as many deals as the last two months combined, at least in terms of magnitude, if not sheer volume. It seems that every team has several outcasts to ship off. A few could come in handy for other sides at reasonable prices.

Cyril Ngonge

Napoli have gone down a dangerous road, undoing most of last summer’s signings to go after established players. Antonio Conte vowed to have changed, but that’s evidently not the case. The strategy should have decent immediate effects, if they finally get it together, but could leave ruins behind in a year or two. The former Verona starlet has been an afterthought during pre-season and could be a victim of the David Neres signing. He’s not consistent and needs the ball a lot, but the flashes of talent he showed while helping the Scaligeri, and he’s versatile. There’s no shortage of sides who could use a classy winger. Since they are looking for more than one, Juventus should consider replicating the Pierre Kalulu deal with him.

Arthur

Federico Chiesa is grabbing the highlights because of his superior stature, but he’s not the only player who could leave for cheap and lift other clubs. The Brazilian ‘regista’ stayed healthy and proved perfectly capable of running a team last season in Vincenzo Italiano’s Fiorentina. He’d be an okay fit for Thiago Motta’s style too, but the management prefers to remove his large salary from the books. He reduced it last summer, but it’s still large. Since he has two years on his contract, his reinstatement is more likely than in other instances, but it probably depends on whether they’ll pull off what they have in mind. La Viola is still reeling from his departure.

Nicola Zalewski

Roma should still sign a strong left winger despite the unexpected turn of events concerning Paulo Dybala. Using Matias Soulé there, as they did for a few minutes versus Cagliari, is a disservice to him. Lorenzo Pellegrini can handle the role decently, but he and La Joya aren’t trustworthy injury-wise. Stephan El Shaarawy is fine but can’t be a top option in 2025. The Pole has had some fine seasons as a wing-back but is a fish out of water in a more offensive role. He had perfectly adjusted to the more cautious one under José Mourinho. He needs a change of scenery and to go to a team that plays with a 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1, while Giallorossi necessitate somebody more creative. He’d be a nice ‘plusvalenza’ since he’s a club product. They’ll need some sales if they want to finish strong. Perhaps they could throw him in a swap.

Yacine Adli

His journey in Milan has been bizarre. He has gone from fringe player to folk hero adapting to a new position, and he’s back in the coach’s doghouse now. It’s unclear whether Paulo Fonseca doesn’t rate him, or if the mandate came from above. The Rossoneri have made it their mission to significantly shore up their midfield this summer. He’s not a great fit for 4-2-3-1, but there’s something there in deploying him as a deep-playing playmaker with two physical players flanking him. Plus, he never got the chance to star as a no.10 in Italy. He’s not the quickest cat, but he has finesse and vision and could work out in the right environment.

Michael Folorunsho

It flew under the radar because he’s not a big name, but his situation is one of the weirdest of the window. He extended his contract until 2029 well Napoli hired Conte and Giovanni Manna after faring convincingly at Hellas Verona. Yet, he’s been up on sale after the coach got a closer look at him. His skill set and character seem ideal for the fiery gaffer, but he’s more offensive-minded than what they need in the midfield. Yet, 3-4-2-1 might not be set in stone, especially if they play like in the opener. At the very least, he’s a useful tool since he can play in four of five different positions. His effort level is never a question mark. Rennes laid eyes on him, according to Alfredo Pedullà, but a host of outfits could use him. He’s not pricey in terms of fee and salary. He’d be a nice fit especially at Lazio, which are after him, and Atalanta, which almost signed him before Gianluca Scamacca got hurt.