It’s a new week, Monday comes and brings with it more from the soap opera that is Calcio. Football in Italy isn’t even being played at the moment but it’s still all going on…
1. Club World Cup Kicks Off in America
Ok so it actually kicked off yesterday, but this week is the turn of the Italians. Inter kick off against CF Monterrey on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning depending on where you’re reading this. Juventus get going on Wednesday night/Thursday morning against Al-Ain.
Inter will be hoping for a little better than their last outing, that Champions League humiliation. Juventus happy to be there without a European final since 2017. So far interest is very low, FIFA will be hoping it increases as time goes on. I’ll be out in Seattle at the end of the Group Stage so look out for some content on that!
2. Will there be anyone left at Milan?
Mike Maignan’s move to Chelsea may have broken down but that doesn’t mean he isn’t looking to move on. Chelsea will come back when the CWC slows down for them and with one year left he looks set to be sold this summer.
Theo Hernandez and Rafa Leao are also rumoured to be on the way out, with Bayern Munich a possible destination for both. That or Saudi Arabia anyway.
Luka Jovic is going at the end of his contract next month, looking likely to join Torino. That other Turin club, Juventus, are sniffing around Pierre Kalulu and Yunus Musah is in discussion with Napoli.
Calabria will also leave when his contract expires and the club confirmed that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is surplus to requirements. Along with fellow Englishmen Tammy Abraham and Kyle Walker departing at the end of their loan spells.
Can the last person to leave Milan turn off the lights?
3. The tug of war for Giovanni Leoni
The highly rated 18 year old is in high demand and it’ll be a miracle if the centre-back starts next season at Parma. Juventus are interested, as are Milan, Napoli, Torino and Inter. A move to Inter would probably appeal most, the shift in focus from Oaktree to younger players and his former manager Christian Chivu being in place will be a big pull.
But a bigger pull may be the Premier League. Thomas Frank might not be the newest face at Tottenham Hotspur for long, and the option for Parma to loan him back might sway them to accept this offer. Maybe he prefers the French Riviera? Monaco are also interested, and the chance to live a life of luxury in the millionaires playground has been a big pull in the past for players.
Watch this space, this race could go on a while, but needless to say it’ll develop significantly this week…
4. Sometimes maybe good, Sometimes maybe shit
Had to jump on and edit this part of the post this morning. The FIGC were telling us all that they had aaaaages to make this decision as there were no internationals until September.
Then out of nowhere they appointed Gennaro Gattuso. The former Milan player left his job at Hajduk Split earlier this summer and won the World Cup as a player with the Azzurri in 2006. He’s fiery, he divides opinion and he’s a strict disciplinarian. This will be one to watch through the World Cup qualifiers!
5. Josh Doig to Juventus?
Sassuolo’s 23 year old Scottish Full Back Josh Doig could soon be making a move to Juventus according to rumours. The Scottish Sun are reporting that around €13m would secure his signature for the Bianconeri. The Scottish revolution in Italy is certainly getting out of hand now, has no one watched any Scotland matches???
6. Chivu starts life with Inter
Ok, so we alluded to the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in the blog, but with the tournament kicking off, so too is Christian Chivu’s Inter Milan career 2.0.
The young coach, fresh from a spell with their youth team and then rescuing Parma was a very public second choice, but he’s a popular figure at the San Siro so he’ll get a chance to prove himself.
Will he stick with Inzaghi’s 3-5-2? Will he freshen up the side with some younger players? Just how many Parma players is he trying to sign? All of these answers will be a bit clearer by this time next week…
7. Edin Dzeko to get one last Calcio outing?
Rumours were starting late last week that potentially we will see Edin Dzeko in Italy one more time… The former Roma and Inter striker has just left Fenerbahce and the 39 year old is now linked with a move to Florence.
Yes, that’s right, Fiorentina are apparently lining up a move for the veteran striker. He does guarantee goals, but at 39 does he guarantee games? A deal until 2027 is rumoured to have been offered which would see him play at the top level of Italian football until he’s 41. I’m sceptical, but Calcio constantly surprises you.
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