Palermo Club Focus: Who Should the Rosanero Buy in January?

Date: 29th December 2011 at 12:10pm
Written by:

It’s been a winter of discontent for everyone involved with Palermo, with the Rosanero slipping down the Serie A table having not won a game in December. Promising young coach Devis Mangia has been given the sack, and with a sub-standard squad, some January transfer business could work wonders for Mutti’s men.

President Zamparini has suggested that there will be at least one new face arriving at the Renzo Barbera in the transfer window, and there are numerous suggestions as to who that could be. After the loss of Javier Pastore to PSG in the Summer, the Palermo midfield has appeared to be lacking quality, and many of the rumours suggest that it is that area which Zampa is looking to strengthen.

One of the most notable names being linked to Palermo is Sampdoria midfielder Angelo Palombo. The 30-year-old has played over 300 times for Samp, and has become something of a club icon, remaining with the club as captain after their relegation to Serie B last season. He is famously hard-working on the pitch whilst also packing a very good shot, and would add much-needed experience to a Palermo outfit lacking in it. However, whilst it would be a fantastic signing,  I wouldn’t rate Palermo’s chances of capturing him too highly, as he’s also wanted by former club Fiorentina, Juventus, Lazio and Parma.

Ghanaian international Sulley Muntari has spent just 154 minutes on the pitch for Inter this season having started just once, and is another player being linked with a move to Sicily, along with registi David Pizarro from Roma, and Palermo-born Gaetano d’Agostino from Siena – a talented player who would no doubt add to the creativity in the side.

Bari’s Massimo Donati is another player reportedly tracked by Palermo, with the 30-year-old midfielder currently plying his trade at Bari, having made a few appearances at AC Milan earlier on in his career. Dinamo Zagreb’s 22-year-old Croatian international midfielder Milan Badelj is also on the Rosanero‘s radar, although they will surely face stiff competition from the highly-rated midfielder, with Lyon and Sevilla also chasing him.

Uruguayan Egidio Arevalo Rios of the Mexican side Club Tijuana is an interesting player being linked with a move to the Renzo Barbera. He has been capped 19 times, scoring an impressive 7 goals from midfield on those occasions. The strong defensive midfielder appeared 7 times for Uruguay at last year’s World Cup, and would provide grit and determination in the centre of the pitch.

Aside from midfield woes, Palermo also have issues up front, unable to find a consistent goalscorer in the last few seasons. Despite this, there are whispers that striker Mauricio Pinilla will be departing for Fiorentina, with winger Marco Marchionni coming the other way.

Colombian Teo Gutierrez from Argentinian outfit Racing Club is one striker who could fill the gap left by Pinilla, although Fiorentina and Genoa are also rumoured to be interested in the 26-year-old. Palermo have a track record of bringing over talents from South America, and Gutierrez could be in line to join that list. Born in the poverty-stricken city of Barranquilla, Gutierrez has quite the back-story, frequently having to dodge bullets around his home town. Could his next chapter be set in Palermo? Said to be like Pinilla, strong, fast and with an eye for goal, he could well be a ready-made replacement.

A man compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Vedad Ibisevic, is also a striker who Palermo are said to be interested in. The former PSG man is currently at 1899 Hoffenheim, a club at which he has an impressive scoring record. Standing at 6 ft 2 in, the Bosnian international could provide a physical presence up front that the Rosanero appear to be lacking at the moment.

For all the latest Serie A news don’t forget to check out the news section of Forza Italian Football.

Join Forza Italian Football on Twitter and Facebook.

We are always looking for new writers, so if you think you know Calcio, email us: forzaitalianfootball@snack-media.com

 

Comments are closed.