Spezia and Venezia will soon get new starting goalkeepers. The two sides were battling for Antonio Mirante and Sergio Romero. The Italian specialist is on the verge of joining the Aquilotti, while the former Manchester United player will sign with the Lagunari, Gianluca Di Marzio reports.
Venezia have been relying on Luca Lezzerini and Niki Maenpaa to open the season. They both had to deal with physical issues. The former, in particular, is coming off an ACL tear and recently missed time with a thigh strain. The Arancioneroverdi opted to turn to a more established option. Romero will return to Serie A as he logged 42 appearances with Sampdoria in the past.
Spezia were in the running for the Argentinian goalkeeper too. However, they were already leaning towards Mirante before Venezia swooped in. Coach Thiago Motta picked Jeroen Zoet over Ivan Provedel thus far, but his performances have been uneven. The Bianconeri had orchestrated the departure of last season’s starter in the summer, but a swap deal will Sampdoria fell through.
Mirante had a part-time role at Roma in the last three seasons. He featured in 35 matches and conceded 42 goals. He spent the prime of his career at Parma and Bologna. The Aquilotti also reached out to Nicolas N’Koulou to shore up their leaky back-line. The defender is still without a team after leaving Torino at the end of his contract. However, Watford are making a strong push for him, the transfer market expert relays. Spezia will not be able to make purchases in January due to a FIFA ban.