"We would like to buy two more players but Frank will decide." Thohir's words ratify, if still needed, the pact with De Boer, a coach much more appreciated (above all by him) than his predecessor Mancini. And so the meeting of Appiano Gentile (with the president who left from Brazil, where he is following the Olympics as a representative of Indonesia, especially to meet him) served to establish the guidelines for the summer market, which has now entered the final phase. “We want to strengthen the squad and we have already done so in part by taking on Candreva – continued Thohir. – Frank will still have some time to evaluate the players available but I can assure you that we won't weaken”.
The two signings that the president would like to give to De Boer are anything but mysterious: one is Joao Mario, a midfielder from Sporting Lisbon who was already being chased during the European Championships, the other is Gabigol, a Santos striker currently involved in the Olympics with the Brazilian national team . On both there is the direction of Kia Joorabchian, according to the malignant ones one of the supporters of the "expulsion" of Mancini, ready to make use of all his power to bring the two players to the Nerazzurri. The Portuguese costs a lot but Inter's offer (45 plus 5 bonus) is making Sporting's resistance waver, the Brazilian instead has a more contained price (25, even if Leicester went as low as 27) but a significantly greater competition.
Certainly a lot will depend on the future of Icardi, always desired by Napoli, whose permanence is not yet certain. In fact, at Inter the Argentine is defined as non-transferable but the feeling is that if De Laurentiis reached 60 million, things would change, they would certainly change. And the Nerazzurri could also return the "snub" by focusing strongly on Insigne, the latest in order of time to have questioned his stay in the shadow of Vesuvius. On the other hand, the rumor that would like Tevez as a market target is not confirmed, although the presence of Joorabchian leaves any type of scenario open, even the most sensational.
There are no more secrets on the transfer of Milan, now linked to Berlusconi only until the autumn closing. “Thirty years ago I bought the club out of love and today I'm selling it for the same reason – said the president on his Facebook profile. – I entrust the team to a group that has the necessary resources and the will to invest them to bring Milan back to compete with the major international clubs." Important intentions but postponed to the future. Because this, at least until today, is a far from crackling market for the Rossoneri colours. Galliani, in his last session as managing director (yesterday the Chinese, through an official statement, confirmed the arrival of Fassone as general manager), is struggling to self-finance him (Bacca seems to have definitively rejected West Ham) and will be able to have only 15 million , however "kindly" offered by the old owner.
The budget will be entirely invested in Rodrigo Bentancour, the 19-year-old Boca Juniors midfielder, on whom, moreover, there would be an option from Juventus stipulated at the time of the sale of Tevez. But the bianconeri are not willing to exercise it, which is why the match is now being played between Milan and the Argentine club, rather tempted by the 15 million offered. Bentancour, for his part, has already said yes: an economic question (he would receive a five-year contract worth 1,5 million per season) but also a technical one (he would be the director).
Juventus are also looking for a midfielder but here the ideas seem to be less clear. The primary objective was Axel Witsel but the Belgian, one year after the expiry of his contract with Zenit, froze everyone: “I've decided to stay in Russia for another season – he told a St. Petersburg newspaper. – I know there are teams that have followed me but the best thing, at the moment, is to stay here”. The words cool the market but still do not exclude a twist: Witsel, in fact, may also have decided to soften Zenit, so far very rigid in the request for 25 million.
However, the candidacies of Matuidi, Luiz Gustavo and Sissoko remain alive, in any case, to get to a big one, one or more transfers will be needed. Zaza, Pereyra and Hernanes are on the list of starters, but at the moment the only one with a transfer market is the blue striker, requested for millions (25) by Wolfsburg. A figure that would be fine for Juve, blocked only by the resistance of the person concerned, not inclined to move to the Bundesliga. In fact, Zaza still hopes to find an Italian team (Milan or Rome are the preferred destinations) or, alternatively, to join his mentor Conte at Chelsea (Juve would be in if Matic also entered the deal, obviously with a balance), also if the refusal to Wolfsburg, given the shortage of alternatives, is not so clear-cut.
