To my astonishment as much as anyone’s, Fiorentina avoided the drop and, as a reward, gets to pick over the carcasses of the relegated teams—Cremonese, Hellas Verona, and Pisa—like everyone else. There’s always some talent in these generally talent-poor teams and it’s often available at a bargain but let’s not kid ourselves: if these rosters contained a lot of good players, they wouldn’t be planning for Serie B.
As usual, I’m trying to maintain a thin veneer of realism over this exercise in fantasy.
That means that players on loan are off the table (e.g. no Warren Bondo). I’m mostly looking for squad players here rather than starters. That means either Serie A veterans or youngsters who combine current ability with plausible upside. As a reminder, this isn’t Football Manager. Transfer fees and potential aren’t set in stone. They’re matters of opinion. Anyways, let’s dive in.
Cremonese
RB Tommaso Barbieri: He’s 23 and played 1700+ minutes in Serie A without looking like an unmitigated disaster. He’s got the requisite combination of athleticism, motor, and technical ability to do a job. If both Dodô and Niccolò Fortini move this summer, he’s a solid depth option for €5ish million. I wouldn’t feel great about him starting on opening day but he looks like a steady journeyman in the making.
CB Sebastiano Luperto: We’re talking about a 3rd or 4th centerback here so this isn’t super exciting, but Luperto’s always been a tad underrated and has bounced around Serie A for years, including 2 stints at Empoli. He also wore the armband for the noisy neighbors for a season, indicating that he’s seen as a leader; that’s something the Viola really need. He’s better on the ball than he gets credit for and is a bit more athletic than your usual big lump.
CM Morten Thørsby: He’s got technical and athletic limitations but he’s been in Serie A for years and could be the sort of dirty work backup who helps a middling team grind out results, and hey, it’s not like he’s useless out there. He tallied 3 assists in 2 games against Italy for Norway, after all, and is a significant part of why the Azzurri will be watching the World Cup from their sofa. More importantly, he’s the sort of no-nonsense personality that could help reshape the culture at the RBCVPetc.
Hellas Verona
RB Rafik Belghali: The 23-year-old Algeria international just joined from Mechelen for €2 million last summer but could be on the move again as Verona’s most saleable asset. He’s eager to get forward and loves attacking space while offering sufficient defensive chops to avoid being overrun. Belghali might be the only guy on the roster who increased his value this season and will probably have plenty of suitors, which could drive the price up to something like €6 million.
CB Tobias Slotsager: He’s just 20 and barely featured so this is definitely one for the future but he impressed me in the couple Verona games I saw him in. He’s enormous, for one thing, and moves pretty well for a guy his size while being tidy enough on the ball. He’d be a fine low-cost gamble although I doubt he’d move the needle next year.
AM Tomáš Suslov: The fiery little Slovakia international missed the first half of the season with a preseason cruciate ligament injury but bounced back quickly. He can play in midfield or on the wing and brings technical ability with an almost laughable aggro mindset, as you may recall from his ridiculous red card against Fiorentina this year. I don’t think he’s all that good; this is more about seeing him and Albert Guðmundsson navigate each other’s presence like 2 mutually distasteful cats stuck in the same room.
Pisa
LB Samuele Angori: He’s played for Pisa, Empoli, and Pontedera so adding another Tuscan destination feels obvious. He’s probably a bit subpar physically but makes up for it with intelligent positioning. I think he’s one of those guys whose level will rocket upwards in a better team because his more illustrious teammates will create more space for him but he might be the most valuable Nerazzurri player going and could command a fee out of Fiorentina’s reasonable range, somewhere north of €9 million.
CF Rafiu Durosinmi: He cost €9 million from Viktoria Plžen this summer and scored a late equalizer against Atalanta on his debut but that was his high point as he failed to find the net again while mostly coming off the bench. Just 23, he offers an interesting blend of size and speed that makes him a handful on the break. He needs to improve his linkup play but he’s got all the tools to be a good striker and even earned his first Nigeria caps in April, putting himself in position to go to the World Cup. His arrow’s pointing up.
CM İsak Vural: Just 20 years old, he’s a Benfica youth product who’s bounced all over Europe in his short career before joining Pisa for €4.5 million last summer. He’s earned a Turkiyë callup (without taking the pitch) so it’s clear that he’s impressed someone despite a mediocre season. His powerful physique belies his technical approach to the game; he’s almost a throwback number 10, although he also gets through the off-ball stuff pretty well. He’s not ready for a major role in Serie A but could be a very interesting bargain buy if he wants out.
