Bologna’s defense and attack are often in the spotlight: the numbers, moreover, crown the rossoblù as the second best rearguard in Serie A and Zirkzee exploded up front and the whole of Europe is talking about it. What cannot be celebrated enough is the midfield, the center of gravity and the point of balance of Motta’s system.
And here lies the true masterpiece: of the managers who set it up, of Motta who ‘cooked’ finding a place for everyone and of the individuals, reinventing it after the sales of Schouten and Dominguez, which seemed essential.
Incredible, but true, the entire department cost just 18.5 million, which will become 21 with the forced redemption of Freuler for 2.5 million from Nottingham Forest: in practice less than what was collected from Schouten’s transfers (12 million plus 3 bonus) and Dominguez (8). It has been said about Freuler, the new captain: at Atalanta he was a midfielder with the license to strike, with Motta he became the midfielder who plugs all the holes. The hero of the Olimpico, Oussama El Azzouzi arrived from Saint Gilloise for 2.3 million: goals against Lazio and Roma, topped off with 2 assists and above all the signal of strength provided to the former without Ferguson.
Meanwhile, El Azzouzi’s goal was indicated by the Serie A League as the best goal of the last day. And in third place was teammate Alexis Saelemaekers with his spoon in Totti’s homeland.
Another coup is represented by Giovanni Fabbian, who arrived from Inter for 6 million: 5 goals and 2 assists for the 2003 class, in his first season in Serie A, on whom Inter boasts a 12 million counter-payment exercisable in the summer of 2025, even if Bologna will work as early as the summer to cancel the right and avoid the risk of losing it: at least at that amount, because the doubt that it could be worth much more is legitimate. Fabbian is the midfielder who has cost the most.
Followed by Aebischer, taken from the then director Bigon for 5 million from Young Boys. The Swiss is one of the symbols of Bologna’s individual and systemic growth: in the last 3 years he had received a free loan offer from the Germans of Augsburg.
After a season as a wild card, this year Thiago has given him an interior role in the 4-1-4-1 and it is a safe bet that he will have more admirers, assuming that Bologna considers him on the market.
Moro was bought for 2.5 million by Dinamo Moscow, Ferguson arrived for 2.2 million and Urbanski for 500 thousand euros.
Considering that before the injury Ferguson had fans worth around 30 million and that Fabbian’s compensation is worth 12, the median set up at the sale price is now worth at least triple, 60 million and with 15 goals (6 from Ferguson, 5 by Fabbian, 2 by El Azzouzi, one each for Moro and Freuler) is the added value for the Champions League, combined with the 10 assists he recorded.
