At least 8-9 purchases, but there could be more. Tomorrow the summer transfer market session officially begins and Cesena must strengthen in all departments.
Defence
The question mark on the goalkeepers was erased during a press conference on Thursday. He starts again with Matteo Pisseri and Alessandro Siano should still be alongside him, so Cavalluccio doesn’t need goalkeepers. Different story in defense, where it will be necessary to buy two category centre-backs, possibly physically strong to add muscles and centimeters. There are no left-footed players in the squad, so at least one left-footed player will arrive. In the Arctic’s notebook there are the young Lucchesi from Fiorentina, former teammate of Berti in the Viola Primavera and returning after a good season at Ternana, and the rocky Croatian Stipe Vulikic from Perugia (Mantova likes him, the Umbrian club has shot high). But to strengthen a department where there are currently three out of four rookies in the squad (Ciofi, Pieraccini and Silvestri, in addition to Prestia) we need to raise the bar.
External
The promotion man Edoardo Pierozzi was not redeemed and Antonio David will go on loan. For this reason, two wingers are needed to flank Manolo Adamo and Daniele Donnarumma: Cesena was interested in Fiorentina’s Costantino Favasuli, but the former Ternana player is destined for Bari. Artico has already found a left-footed player: Aurelio will not be the return horse, as Mignani is not convinced (he had already trained him a year ago in Palermo), nor will Juventus’ Frabotta.
Midfielders
There are at least two (but more likely three) boxes to fill in a central department where at the moment the only one certain to remain is Matteo Francesconi, who will be making his debut in Serie B. Cesena needs experience and also physicality. The 30-year-old Mattia Maita, a Mignani loyalist, would guarantee both, but for now Bari does not seem inclined to deprive him. Arctic already has a midfielder in hand, who should arrive next week. Luca Valzania, after a couple of complicated seasons in Ferrara and Ascoli, would gladly return home. The dream among the young players is the Florentine Alessandro Bianco, who has returned to the Viola (where he will be evaluated by Palladino) after an excellent season at Reggiana.
Attacking midfielders and strikers
Under the strikers we start again with Tommaso Berti, while ARCtico is carefully monitoring the Juventus player Mattia Compagnon (whom half of Serie B likes) and Manuel Marras of Cosenza. The dream would be Anthony Partipilo, an excellent left-footed player coming out of Parma, but the competition is just too much. Then we will need another player to join Kargbo in the pairs game and of course a top-class centre-forward. The Lapadula dream is destined to remain a dream at the moment. LAM
