So today’s transfer rumour is a really good one, and I wanted to do a brief write-up on why I think it’s the sort of deal that is too good to pass up … if the story is true.
According to The Record – who are getting this from Italy – we’re close to a deal with Italian midfielder and free agent Andrea Bertolacci, who has been released by Milan. He is a central midfielder. He is a full international. He is 28 years old.
What do we know of him beyond that? Well he had what can only be described as a torrid time at the Rossoneri, and I’m not in the business of sugar-coating this stuff as if I was a PR guy telling Neil Cameron or Chris Jack what to write in their articles.
The player had some injury issues, but more than anything else was plain and simple bad form.
You know, I was interested recently to read Chris Sutton describe his Chelsea form as “rotten” recently during an argument with Scott McDonald.
Sutton is correct.
The move to London was a disaster for him in every way, and that’s why we were able to pick him up for a cool £6 million.
He knows as well as anyone that sometimes moves just don’t work out.
These things happen.
Whether it was the pressure of playing for a club like Milan, the difficulty in getting ahead of better players in the line or something else, it clearly didn’t work out.
He cost them £20 million.
He leaves the club after three years on a free.
That is a disaster whatever way you dress it up.
But this guy can play, and that’s obvious too, and he played a lot more games than some of his critics might have you believe. Indeed, the season before last he returned to Genoa on loan and played more than 30 matches for them across a Serie A campaign.
Last year, well it was fairly catastrophic.
This guy will need time and work and a lot of luck to get back up to speed if we sign him, so don’t expect to see him any time soon. But this signing is a no-brainer because at 28 he has years left in the tank and he needs to rebuild his reputation at a club where there’ll not be so much pressure on him.
Another move back to Genoa might have held appeal for him, but why would it when they finished 17th in the league last season?
Here, there’s European football and a chance to win trophies if that’s what floats his boat. And in return we get a very capable Italian international midfielder … for nothing.
I can’t understand where there’s a downside here.
This is the kind of deal we should be doing, the sort of move we should be making, the sort of good business that we should be looking at.
I would be delighted if this move came off.
It’s a no-risk deal with a potentially high reward.
The Rumour Guy is a Celtic fan and blogger who likes to watch Italian football when he’s not hiding in Italy.