A start with a bang. Not even time to officially open the dances that Milan lands the first shot, and what a shot! Zlatan Ibrahimovic is already a candidate to take the palm of best purchase in the winter market, at least in terms of media. The field will then tell if the Rossoneri have really made a deal or if the Swede, who turned 38 last October 3, will end up like the various Gullit, Shvechenko and Kakà, comeback horses unable to repeat what they did in the past, but in the meantime Via Aldo Rossi is back on the front pages for something positive and this, in light of the last few months, is already news.
The deal had been in the air for several months but the decisive acceleration came after the defeat in Bergamo, too heavy not to have consequences. Ibra, for his part, can be said to be satisfied with ending his career at Milan and in Milan, clubs and cities left only for the needs of others and never truly forgotten. Even from an economic point of view, Zlatan can smile: to the 3 million (plus bonuses) agreed until June, another 4,5 (again with bonuses) can be added for the following season, provided that some personal goals are achieved between appearances and goal.
“I am returning to a club that I respect enormously and to a city that I love – the first words as a Rossoneri. – I will fight with my teammates to change the course of this season and I will do everything to achieve our goals.
The king has returned home but this is just the beginning. In fact, the market will not only concern Milan, which is still active (Maldini and Boban also want Todibo in defense and Matic in midfield), but all the big names in our league. Juventus, after losing the Super cup, is gearing up to improve the squad, both in terms of income and expenditure. After completing the sale of Mandzukic to Al Duhail Paratici is working on an exchange with PSG, which would include Paredes in Turin and Emre Can in Paris. The idea stems from Sarri's need to have a director in the middle of the field to work alongside Pjanic, in order to thus be able to increase quality and pursue his own football beliefs, and given that Leonardo is looking for a breakthrough player, moreover at the bottom of the hierarchies black and white, here it seems destined to materialize in a short time. Paquetà could also arrive under the Eiffel Tower but only for 38 million: Maldini and Boban in fact do not want to generate capital losses and the discussion, returning for a moment to Milan, also applies to Kessié, Rodriguez and Borini, all on the market but only at certain conditions.
The one who anxiously awaits the market is Conte, who has been waiting for this window for a long time strengthen his Inter. The recoveries of Barella, Sensi and Sanchez make the matter less urgent, however the Nerazzurri know they have to move with targeted and quality reinforcements, in an attempt to fight for the Scudetto until May. Marotta is concentrating above all in midfield, where the hot name is that of Vidal.
The Chilean has already accepted for some time, now all that remains is to find an agreement with Barcelona and here things get complicated: in fact, the Catalans will deprive themselves of the "Guerreiro" only outright, therefore for a total of 20 million, a figure deemed too high from Inter who, between a onerous loan and a redemption, aims to close for 12. A stalemate that the player himself, evidently irritated, is trying to unblock with the "bad" ones: according to the Spanish media, in fact, he denounced Barça for 2,4 million in unpaid premiums, a move which, if confirmed, would lead to a real break. We'll see what happens, but in the meantime, however, eyes are also on Nandez from Cagliari, an element that both the managers and the coach really like.
The other dream for January is called Kulusevski but here, in addition to the Atalanta owner of the card (with which there is already an agreement on the basis of 35-40 million), Parma must be convinced, on the strength of a loan agreement valid until June which they would not want to give up at all . Marotta is confident of finding a solution, vice versa he is ready to dive into De Paul from Udinese, another very welcome element. The names of Giroud as deputy Lukaku and Darmian (Marcos Alonso, the favourite, cost too much) for the left wing are always hot, all operations that would complete the squad, thus making it more competitive.
Maneuvers also underway in Naples, where the arrival of Gattuso has evidently changed goals and ideas. The priorities are a playmaker in the middle of the field and, in parallel, solving the Mertens case, whose contract is about to expire and with a return below expectations. For the former, there is still talk of Torreira, which Arsenal could sell for 25-30 million, perhaps with the formula of an onerous loan with an obligation to buy, while the latter is liked by Borussia Dortmund but, at the moment, it does not seem willing to leave Naples before June. Instead, Younes could start and keep an eye on Lozano's position: the club has invested a lot in him so he won't be sold, but who knows if a loan hypothesis aimed at relaunching him can make his way.
Hot market also in the rest of the league, with Roma that could sell Pastore or Perotti, Lazio buy some elements to lengthen the bench a bit, Atalanta replace the disappointing Kjaer with a more suitable defender (there is talk of Caldara but it is difficult for Milan to want to do without him now), Fiorentina and Genoa to duel for a striker. It is Piatek, who will be leaving after the arrival of Ibrahimovic: the Rossoblu would gladly take him back but the Viola too (also interested in Cutrone) have good arguments to convince the Pistolero, who is currently reluctant to leave Milan.
