The transfer market never stops. The official opening is still about 45 days away, but in the meantime the maneuvers have already begun. It is above all the teams from the north that move, either out of disappointment (this is the case of Milan and Juventus), or because appetite, as they say, comes with eating (and here, however, Inter comes into play). In fact, the Nerazzurri, beyond the official declarations, are pursuing that goal that was unthinkable until recently and has now become, if not achievable, at least possible.
The Scudetto, compared to what happened in recent seasons, has no masters and so it becomes legitimate to dream of it. However, Mancini is aware that his Inter must improve above all in front of goal, which is why he aims for decisive players from the waist up. The big goal is called Dries Mertens, a quality offensive winger who has always been in the good graces of the Jesi coach. The Belgian is not a permanent starter in Sarri's chessboard, but in Milan he would be and it is precisely on this that the Nerazzurri are aiming. The problem however, and it is no small matter, is called Aurelio De Laurentiis. Difficult, if not impossible, that the Napoli president will be able to sell him in January, moreover to a direct competitor for the title. Mertens' contract doesn't help either: expiring in 2018, a sort of double-sided safe.
The only way to break the bank is a maxi offer, but Thohir is unlikely to go that far already in January. The operation seems more possible in the summer but woe to underestimate Mancini: one who, as amply demonstrated, knows how to make himself heard like few others in the world. Whoever expects big Christmas presents is certainly Massimiliano Allegri, who is forced to move up the table in order not to lose the bench at the end of the season.
The coach spent the summer asking for an attacking midfielder and certainly hasn't stopped since the purchase of Hernanes. The dream, just like in August, is called Oscar: impossible in the summer, much more achievable today, with Chelsea in the slums of the Premier League and Mourinho one step away from being sacked. The key to getting to the Brazilian is Cuadrado, another player who just came from the blues: an early redemption could soften Abramovich, however determined to turn his creature inside out like a sock.
Juve then look for a midfielder and here the name of Gundogan is back in vogue, even if the German is really liked by Klopp who would like him as a first reinforcement for his Liverpool. Intense maneuvers also at Milan's home, where moves similar to those of Juve are expected. The 4-3-1-2 so dear to Berlusconi cannot be done without a playmaker and an attacking midfielder, exactly the roles discovered by Mihajlovic. For the first, there is still talk of Witsel: the Belgian, who is very close in the summer, could finally land near Milanello, provided that Zenit St. Petersburg lowers the (very expensive) demands on him a little. The novelty is instead represented by the attacking midfielder, a role revealed after the flops of Honda and Suso. Galliani has bet on Franco Vazquez and the courtship, as revealed by Zamparini, is anything but light. “I refused 25 million – admitted the president of Palermo. – If they rise to 30, I'll give it to them but not in January”.
All true, apart from the last sentence: in fact, faced with 30 million, the rosanero number one couldn't really say no. The doubts, if anything, derive from Berlusconi's intentions, still without that Asian shoulder that would help him a lot on the market. Will he really want to put another 50 million on the plate (a lot is needed to get both Witsel and Vazquez) after having already spent 86 in the summer? Questions that hover in the air and that will soon find an answer.
