As the season winds down its only natural that Parma fans will begin to look towards next season. The Crociati still hold their own European destiny in their hands, a win against Inter this weekend would see Parma leapfrog Inter in the table and stay ahead of the chasing pack of Torino, AC Milan and Lazio.
Parma fans will also begin to wonder which of the current loan crop of players will be retained, if any. In the first team there are currently seven players on loan from other clubs, decisions will have to be made in the off-season.
Working from the back to the front of the pitch, we start in defence and Parma have three defenders on loan. AC Milan’s Jherson Vergara and Sassuolo’s Swiss player Jonathan Rossini both joined the Parma in January, and both have yet to appear for the club.
Vergara at 19 years old is obviously a player for the future, he originally joined the Rossoneri after a string of impressive performances for the Colombia U20 national team, he didn’t appear in any league games for Milan, so he is yet to make his Serie A debut.
Parma have an option of purchasing 50% of his rights and this could be taken up, Vergara could prove to be a solid depth option for next season’s potential European run and at worst his transfer rights could be used as a make-weight in a different transfer.
As for Rossini he has never looked comfortable in Serie A and it is highly unlikely that Parma will take him on full time.
The on loan defender who has had the biggest impact is Mattia Cassani, after indifferent spells with Fiorentina and Genoa, Cassani has settled with Parma and become a near permanent fixture in Roberto Donadoni’s team.
Cassani has proved himself more than capable of playing in both a central defensive role and at right back. An experienced pro and tactically versatile, Cassani is exactly the type of player that Parma will need to have amongst their squad next year, he should definitely be signed on a permanent deal.
In midfield Walter Gargano and Afriyie Acquah have been in and out of the team throughout the season, competing with Marco Parolo, Massimo Gobbi and Marco Marchionni for starting berths.
Gargano’s Serie A stock has slowly been on the decline since moving to Inter in 2012, he has yet to truly discover his best Napoli form and to date his Parma career has been dogged by inconsistency.
Although he is an experienced player his wage demands will likely be too much for a player who is unlikely to be a regular starter for Parma. So although he would be a useful addition, Parma would be better served looking elsewhere for central midfield depth.
And that depth could be found through purchasing Acquah. Acquah is a 22 year old Ghanian on loan from German club Hoffenheim, he has started 13 league games this term and put in some solid performances.
By no means has he set Serie A alight but he could prove a useful addition to the squad, he’s young, accustomed to Parma and started his career with Palermo, so he’s no stranger to Italian culture. He could prove to be a very smart addition to the squad if he is brought in on a permanent transfer.
Parma’s final two loanee players come from Inter, one arrived at the start of the season and has managed seven appearances, the other arrived in January and has already played in 11 games. Joel Obi signed in September amidst high hope, Obi had been in and out of the Inter team but had still registered some solid enough performances to be considered a prospect.
His Parma career has hardly got going though, he’s only started two games and even when he has managed to get onto the pitch his performances have hardly been inspiring.
Ezequiel Schelotto on the other hand as been on a mission to rebuild his reputation and ailing career. After flopping at Inter and struggling with Sassuolo earlier on in the season, Schelotto has hit the ground running with Parma and has contributed with three goals from the wing.
I’ve already written this season on Schelotto and his Parma efforts, and after a few more weeks of seeing him I genuinely believe he could be an absolute steal if signed on a permanent deal. He can play right back in a four man defence, right midfield in a midfield of five and even right wing in a front three, that kind of versatility can’t be taken for granted. He’s an unwanted man at Inter and should be available for a very reasonable price.
Overall Parma’s loan signings have served their purpose for the season, they’ve plugged necessary gaps when called upon. It would have been nice to get more from players such as Gargano and Obi, but the likes of Schelotto and Cassani have performed admirably.
Once the World Cup ends though we’re back into full Mercato mode, senseless rumours, foolish hearsay and questionable sources. So lets enjoy the period of lull, because come July, mayhem resumes.
