Another week is in the books and we are down to the final 10 days of the January transfer market as Serie A clubs work hard behind the scenes to land new signings for the second half of the season. Make no mistake, the most active are those that are struggling to stay afloat in the league, such as Udinese, who finally signed Spanish center back Pablo Marì from Arsenal on loan until the end of the season.
Most of the top clubs are still patiently waiting on the right opportunity to improve their squads, and it may not come to fruition in January. Some teams might be playing their cards close to their chests in hopes of a big summer. Take Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus for instance. They still have not managed to make any signings in this window.
Let's go around the league with some notable transfer rumors and storylines:
Arthur's agent in London
Juventus are still working on trying to find solutions for a couple of possible departures of two midfielders next week: Aaron Ramsey and Arthur Melo. While there are still no concrete offers on the table for the Welsh midfielder, there Brazilian seems to have garnered some interest from Arsenal. Arthur's agent Federico Pastorello was spotted at Arsenal's London Colney training center during the week trying to bridge the gap between the two sides. Arsenal are currently willing to offer a six-month loan by paying the player's salary. Juventus, on the other hand, would prefer an 18-month loan with an option to buy included in the deal. Something's got to give between the two sides, though it's worth pointing out that the Bianconeri would likely need a targeted replacement in order to part ways with their 25-year-old midfielder.
Additionally, rumors linking Juventus and Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic were shot down by Viola CEO Joe Barone. "We didn't receive any proposal from Juventus. Some English club asked us for Vlahovic but there's no agreement. We're here, available," Barone said to La Nazione on Friday. Arsenal seem to be players in the sweepstakes for the Serbian striker, but at the moment his camp has not shown any willingness to leave Fiorentina for England midseason.
AC Milan considering Botman
One of the other never-ending sagas of this winter transfer window revolves around AC Milan's struggles to find a center back following the injuries to Simon Kjaer and Fikayo Tomori. Lille's Sven Botman, who has been at the center of the rumor mill over the past few weeks, appears to be the top target if you were to ask club legend and sporting director Paolo Maldini. Problem is that French outfit has not budged and even turned down €40 million offer from Saudi-backed Newcastle. Maldini might be undeterred and still hopeful of striking an agreement in the next few days, but it doesn't appear likely as things stand. And if he waits until the summer to make a move, he'll be joined by several other suitors in what could be a competitive market for a center back. Possibly January alternatives if Botman does not include Abdou Diallo of PSG or Japhet Tanganga of Tottenham Hotspur.
AC Milan are also working to extend the contract of French left back Theo Hernandez, one of the key players on their roster. Theo, joined the club in 2019, told James Horncastle of The Athletic on Thursday that he's extremely happy at Milan and that talks over a new contract are reportedly progressing. Maldini is also working on some outgoings, such as 20-year-old Italian striker Pietro Pellegri, who is very close to joining his former Monaco coach Ivan Juric at Torino. Before they can send him on loan to Torino for the next six months, AC Milan will need pay Monaco approximately €4 million to seal a permanent move from the Principality to Italy.
Genoa make surprising appointment
It was a very busy week in Genoa with both teams changing coaches. Sampdoria sacked Roberto D'Aversa on Monday after a disappointing start of the season with only five wins in 22 Serie A games. Former Milan coach Marco Giampaolo is taking over managerial duties, marking his second stint with the Blucerchiati. He put together a career-best 39.84 win percentage in 2016-2019 with Sampdoria before leaving for a short-lived experience at Milan where he was dismissed after seven games. Giampaolo is now tasked to bring Sampdoria back out of the bottom half of the table and play same way they did under his previous management when he was briefly viewed as one of the most popular coaches in Serie A.
Genoa, on the other hand, sacked Andriy Shevchenko last Saturday, just two months after taking the job on Nov. 7. The former AC Milan legend, who left the Ukrainian national team for this job, managed to only win one of 11 matches at the helm. His dismissal was only a matter of time. Though they were close to landing ex-Hertha coach Bruno Labbadia, Genoa stayed on the German theme and appointed Alexander Blessin as their next manager on a deal through 2024. It was a surprising move that could bring some international interest for a team that's currently second-to-last in the table and fighting relegation. The German tactician previously worked in the young sector of RB Leipzig, where his mentor and current Manchester United coach Ralf Rangnick was the head development at the time. Genoa fans are hoping a new manager can get them back to winning ways.
Inter Milan with an eye on the summer
Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta is sticking to his blueprint by keeping the roster as is during the January transfer window with an eye on the summer. After loaning out Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano to Brest, Simone Inzaghi's side wanted to do the same with Stefano Sensi in hopes of more playing time with a loan to Sampdoria in mind. However, there are two factors at play here that changed the complexion of the situation and solidified his stay for the rest of the season. Argentine striker Joaquin Correa suffered a thigh injury that will likely keep him sidelined for four weeks and Sensi scored the extra-time winner against Empoli in the Coppa Italia round of 16.
In the meantime, Inter Milan in are keeping a good relationship with Sassuolo, where they have two targets for the summer market: 22-year-old midfielder Davide Frattesi and 23-year-old striker Gianluca Scamacca. Expect several clubs, including Juventus, interested in their services once the summer window opens.