Low-key transfer market as Italy's big clubs happy with their squads
Little money and no big names marked a mid-season market that saw more loan deals than full transfers in Italy's Serie A
Serie A leaders Napoli and second-place Juventus showed little interest in the latest transfer window as they appear happy
with their squads.
The Naples side only signed midfielder Alberto Grassi from Atalanta, and took defender Vasco Regini on loan from Sampdoria before the
window closed Monday night. Grassi, 20, is however already out with a knee injury suffered on his first training session last week.
Champions Juve, who trail Napoli by two points going into a mid-week round, tried in vain to sign German international Ilkay Gundogan from
Borussia Dortmund, but eventually did not change a lineup that has claimed 12 straight wins after a stuttering season start.
Roma have Luciano Spalletti as new coach since mid-January and seem to have found improvement upfront from Stephan El Shaarawy, who
arrived on loan from French-league Monaco and found the net on his debut Saturday.
The Giallorossi also signed Argentine Diego Perotti, an offensive midfielder on loan from Genoa, and loaned Argentine Juan Iturbe to
Bournemouth.
Selling Ivory Coast winger Gervinho to Hebei China Fortune was said to have yielded 18 million euros (19.6 million dollars) to the Rome
club.
Bosnian defender Ervin Zukanovic also debuted with the Rome side Saturday after being loaned from Sampdoria.
Inter Milan sought shooting power by signing Eder from Sampdoria, but found little help from the Italian of Brazilian descent as they
crashed 3-0 to AC Milan in Sunday's city derby.
The sale of attacking midfielder Fredy Guarin to China's Shanghai Shenhua brought Inter about 13 million euros, while defenders Andrea
Ranocchia and Dodo moved to Samp on loan, Martin Montoya joined Real Betis and Nemanja Vidic announced his retirement.
Third-place Fiorentina tweaked their attack, loaning Giuseppe Rossi to Spain's Levante and signing Cristian Tello on a season deal from
Barcelona.
Tino Costa also arrived in Florence, loaned from Spartak Moscow, and Mauro Zarate was bought for 2 million euros from West Ham. La Viola
also signed Tunisian defender Yohan Benalouane from Leicester City until the end of the season.
Kevin-Prince Boateng was Milan's only signing as he rejoined them from Germany's Schalke but without playing again there. The Rossoneri
released Dutchman Nigel de Jong and ended the loan of striker Alessio Cerci to Atletico Madrid.
Cerci has already played two games with Genoa, who on Monday loaned Slovenian striker Tim Matavz from Augsburg.
Chievo are said to have got about 9 million euros from the transfer of Alberto Paloschi to Swansea City, and had Antonio Floro Flores
loaned from Sassuolo.
Other loaned veteran strikers were Fabio Quagliarella, from Torino to Samp, and Sergio Floccari, to Bologna from Sassuolo. Marco Borriello,
going from Carpi to Atalanta, joined his 12th club in the 20 transfers he signed since 2001.