Serie A transfer news and rumors
Milan linked with mysterious move for Andrea Ranocchia
The 27 year-old is finding little space in Roberto Mancini's team this season and does not want to risk missing out on Euro 2016, triggering rumours of a bizarre January transfer to the Rossoneri
By Will Beckman@Will_Beckman Oct 1, 2015, 3:23pm CEST
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So then. In case anybody needed reminding, AC Milan are a strange club. Wednesday's news that Kevin-Prince Boateng will be training with the first-team for the rest of 2015, with a view to him officially rejoining the Rossoneri in January, is a perfect reminder of that. First Kaka, then Balotelli, now KPB. Nothing says looking towards a bright new future quite like continuously chasing players from your past.
But if there's one thing Messrs Berlusconi and Galliani love more than shopping from a list of their own erstwhile rejects, it's Italians. Be it Baggio, Bonera or Bertolacci, they just can't resist that warm snuggly feeling they get inside from tying down a home-grown lad. It doesn't really matter if you're competent with a ball at your feet or not; as long as you can deliver a belting rendition of Inno di Mameli, that particular stumbling block can be swept straight under the carpet.
Which brings us to Andrea Ranocchia. According to more than one source over this past week, including Rai and Gazzetta dello Sport, the 27 year-old could be leaving Inter as early as this January - and, according to the latter source, our city rivals have emerged as one of the clubs interested in acquiring his services. Ranocchia is concerned that his lack of game-time under Roberto Mancini this season could cost him a place in Italy's Euro 2016 squad, having fallen behind Miranda, Jeison Murillo, Gary Medel and even Davide Santon, who played ahead of him at centre-back on Sunday, in the defensive pecking order. As well as this, the loss of the captain's armband to Mauro Icardi appears to have convinced Froggy that, despite having renewed his contract as recently as this summer, he may be best served to pack his bags and relocate, er... to the dressing room about five metres away from ours at San Siro.
Its utter senselessness is what makes me think this could happen. Because it would be utterly, utterly senseless. That and the fact that Milan's name was linked to Ranocchia towards the end of the summer, before Berlusconi's undying love for Philippe Mexes kicked in again and led him to block the Frenchman's transfer to Fiorentina.
Should such a move to Milan fail to materialise though (sniff), there appears to be contemporaneous interest emanating from the Premier League. Everton and Tottenham are the two sides being linked by Rai and Gazzetta to a January swoop - if that's not too grand a word in the circumstances - although the Daily Star believe Crystal Palace may also be interested, while even Southampton were reportedly weighing up a bid back in August. The suitors, bewilderingly, do not seem to be lacking for our former skipper, and that - coupled with the club's desire to trim some more squad fat in January - pretty much spells the end for Ranocchia's career in black and blue.
I do still believe that there is a good player trapped inside Ranocchia somewhere - let's not forget the promise he showed alongside Leonardo Bonucci during his time at Bari, or his continual call-ups to the national team from the man who managed him there - but it's incredibly unlikely that said good player will ever be unleashed here. From the moment he stepped through the door four years ago, it simply has not worked, and for that reason it is hard to feel anything other than overdue relief at the thought of a mid-season departure. Regardless of who ultimately decides to take a risk on him, the sound of shuffling divorce papers from inside Appiano Gentile becomes ever louder with each passing day. Froggy and Inter's marriage of the utmost inconvenience may finally have run its course.