06/26/2024 12.29pm
One of the sore points of Cagliari’s last season was undoubtedly the defense. Sixty-eight goals conceded, the fourth-to-last defense in the entire Serie A. Many problems, only partially resolved by the arrival in January of Jerry Mina from the Florentine, while waiting for the growth of the two summer grafts Mateusz Wieteska And Pantelis Hatzidiakos it remained so. With Alberto Dossena now headed towards the How And Sebastiano Luperto who should arrive in Sardinia together with Davide Nicola, the Polish and Greek defenders also remain in the balance for next season.
Fatigue
Claudio Ranieri had placed many expectations on the duo who arrived in the final stages of the last summer transfer market. International experience – both with the respective representatives and with the clubs – which however clashed with a longer settling-in than expected. Linguistic and adaptation problems to Serie A which forced Cagliari to take action in the January transfer window, focusing on Mina to give leadership to a department in clear difficulty. Nineteen appearances for Wieteska in his first year in Italy, of which only ten as starters, while only thirteen – but all starting from the beginning – for Hatzidiakos. A total investment of 7 million euros – 5 for the Polish central defender, 2 for the Greek one – which did not give the desired results and which could now lead Cagliari to consider the farewell of one of the two players. This is the idea of the rossoblù club, which would not like to say goodbye to both but let the market – and any offers – determine the choice. However, the economic question could be the discriminating factor that will guide the choice, both of the company and of any potential suitors. Because if for that matter Wieteska it becomes complicated, after a not exactly positive season, to think about a transfer without capital losses, however Hatzidiakos the discussion appears different. The investment of just two million, in fact, means that the conditions for his farewell can arise. Even more so looking at the interest that the former central defender AZ Alkmaar arouses at home.
Opposite destinies
In recent weeks to focus on Hatzidiakos and the Panathinaikos who has already entered into negotiations with the Cagliari. The center back born in 1997 would not close the door on a transfer to Greece, far from it. The former AZ, in fact, he would have already given his consent to the possible transfer, with the Panathinaikos who would like to borrow it with right of redemption. The central defender is a priority for the Greek club who would thus bring him back to his homeland Hatzidiakos, grew up right in the youth teams of Panathinaikos before moving in Holland when still fifteen. For the Cagliari the opportunity to find a way out for one of the two central defenders who arrived last summer, who could thus relaunch himself in Greece with the hope of a definitive purchase by the Athens club in the summer of 2025. A different story however for Wieteska who, in the event of the farewell of his teammate, would automatically remain in Sardinia to try to relaunch himself and also regain the Polish national team after the failure to be called up for the Europeans underway in Germany. With the arrival of Nicholas and the contextual farewell of Dossena – in addition to the possible one for Mina, given the two million clause valid until 10 August – here for the former central defender Clermont Foot the chances for greater use and redemption would increase after the negative year in his debut in the Italian championship. Even with some performances that hinted at his qualities, especially from a technical point of view, as demonstrated by the assist in his first appearance against Bologna for Luvumbo’s goal or the play that led to Calafiori’s own goal in the match I always come back against the Bolognese.
Matteo Zizola
