Unlike Michael Jackson…

By: Steven | July 1st, 2009

..I’m still alive and kicking, and not touching little boys’ wieners. It’s been a while, but really, there hasn’t been too much going on in the Palermo department. And as the transfermarket officially opens today, let’s make things up with a little round-up of the incoming transfers so far.

First of all, I wanted to say that I was pretty surprised to read that Catania signed Gennaro Delvecchio, Marseille signed Lucho Gonzalez (one of my favourite footballers of all time) and Napoli signed Zuniga and De Sanctis. That’s what happens when you don’t have a lot of time to read the transfer news…

A lot of crap returning from loan deals. Agliardi’s back, but with Ujkani confirmed as second and Sirigu returning as well, he can go. Reggina is said to be interested. Even more crap returned with Andrea Raggi, who talked some shit when leaving for Sampdoria, only to be benched for the rest of the season in Pestoville. After the debacle of last season, it’s pretty unlikely that Raggi will be on the Palermo books for another season.

Ciaramitaro, HDF, Terranova and Lanzafame also returned from their loan spells. I love Ciaramitaro for the sole reason that he knows he’ll never be a regular, but he never complains and always gives everything he’s got when he gets the chance to play. But it might be more fair to finally give the guy the opportunity to play more than 3 games a year. So either we line him up as a regular substitute, or we let him go to a team like Chievo or Catania, where he can play more.

I think my opinion about HDF is clear. Some of you still believe he has the talent to make it ‘one day’, but the kid’s already 24 and hasn’t ever really played a great game for us. Hell, even at Torino he wasn’t all that. I’ve given up on the guy, and I wouldn’t mind selling him over the summer.

Terranova’s something else. 22, great seasons on loan at Livorno and Vicenza…I hope Zenga adds him to the squad this year, gaining some playing time as a back-up to Bovo and Kjaer. And Lanzafame, well yeah, this is one of those guys I see as a future bandiere. I think he’s talented, he’s eager and he wants to wear the pink and black. Zenga’s gonna lose a lot of points if he decides not to keep him around…

Another new signing is Nicola Rigoni, but we only bought half of him, and he’s staying for another year at Vicenza. He seems to be pretty talented, and he’d better be, seeing as we gave up half of Gianvito Misuraca for him. One of the main contributors to our Primavera Scudetto this year…

Now, for the big in’s:

Nicolás Bertolo. Midfielder, 23, coming from Banfield as soon as their season ends. 8 goals in 28 appearances this season isn’t bad at all. But, as with all South Americans, things can go either way. You could have yourself a new Batistuta, but he could also be a Farias.

Javier Pastore. That is, if the deal’s still on. 20, coming from Huracan in Argentina, voted as the season’s best player by sports daily ‘Olé’. Wanted by a lot of big teams, but he seems to have signed for a small Sicilian team that is planning to equip their attack and midfield with South Americans.

So, that’s about it for now. But from now on, we have two months of crazy speculations, stupid Zampa-decisions and a lot of nervous waiting for confirmations to go. See you guys soon.