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One year ago, the last week of June had seen the first pieces of the Palermo 2023/24 puzzle, with the addition of Lucioni followed closely by Ceccaroni, Vasic, Mancuso, and Insigne; now the scenario could repeat itself, with De Sanctis engaged in the first incoming moves to arrive in Livigno on July 7th with some significant news. The new sporting director wants to give Dionisi at least one signing per department so that during the summer friendlies the coach can get a first idea of which formation to adopt and with which players, old and new.
One of the most delicate issues, the left-back position, could soon reach a turning point: the Pink team would like to avoid arriving uncovered at the retreat, as Lund could return from the Copa America in mid-July and Aurelio is on the verge of leaving, and safeguard themselves with an old favorite. The Di Chiara track had indeed been one of the hottest a year ago, but the back and forth on the Reggina failure had pushed Palermo to make other choices, and the player had then joined Parma at the end of the market; now, with the promotion to the top flight, the former Pink Primavera (in 2011/12) is no longer a first choice for the Crusaders, who have handed over the left flank keys to new signing Valeri. Di Chiara’s contract expiring in June 2025 is an additional assist for the Pink team, who could set up a low-cost operation with an experienced profile (class of 1993), after focusing on a 2002 (Lund) and a 2000 (Aurelio) in the last season: this is also why the trail leading to Cacace (2000) has cooled down, as Empoli continues to demand 4 million euros for him.
Another player who has gained ground in recent hours is Vandeputte of Catanzaro: the Pink team had already tried a blitz for him at the end of January receiving rejections and they have put him back in their sights in early June, but now the Belgian is more than just a simple suggestion. His priority remains an experience in Serie A, but both Torino and Udinese have backed down for now: the Catanzaro’s asking price of 3.5 million is too high from their point of view, especially since Vandeputte’s contract will expire in twelve months. It will now be up to the club on Viale del Fante to decide whether to sit at the table under these conditions or at least try to lower the demands of the Giallorossi: Frosinone is also interested in the Belgian, where within the beginning of next week that Vivarini who has worked well with Vandeputte in the last three seasons should take over as coach.
Next week could also be decisive for the future of Ferrari, for which there is a tug of war between Venezia and Palermo: the Pink team is slightly ahead because, unlike the Venetians, they consider the player their first choice for defense and not one of the many names on the table. The former Sassuolo central defender, left-footed, would reunite with his mentor Dionisi and would take the place left vacant by Marconi, before competing with Ceccaroni for the starting role. The other central defender in the new eleven could still be Lucioni, but only if he does not receive biennial offers: Spezia is observing, aware of having an interesting pawn for the Pink team in Nikolaou; the Greek, compared to the former Frosinone captain, has a longer contract and a higher valuation, so in that case, it will be up to De Sanctis to decide whether to keep the two negotiations linked or not. One of Nedelcearu or Graves is destined for departure: Peda will replace him, in whom the club on Viale del Fante has great confidence after a good season on loan at Spal.
In midfield, the favorite remains Mazzitelli, who however has numerous suitors in Serie A and B: moreover, Frosinone’s reluctance to sell could soon lead to an auction, so Palermo keeps the track alive that leads to Hasa of Juventus Next Gen. In attack, alongside Lapadula of Cagliari and the Esposito brothers (Sebastiano and Francesco Pio) of Inter, the new name is the nineteen-year-old Vata: the Irishman, already in the U21 National team (5 goals in three games) and expiring his contract with Celtic, is also of interest to Watford.
Il Palermo si mette a caccia di Vandeputte
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