Milan interested in "excellent" Cassano
Reuters - Friday 17 December 2010, 10:40
MILAN - Brief news ahead of this
weekend's Serie A matches.
Serie A leaders AC Milan, who host AS Roma on Saturday , are pondering a bid for Sampdoria's Antonio
Cassano despite an arbitration panel ruling on Thursday that
Samp are not within their rights to rip up his contract after
a row.
Cassano has been suspended by the club since October for
swearing at their president but now looks set to be sold in
January, although a sell-on clause demanded by former owners
Real Madrid could complicate any deal.
"If a forward is going to arrive, it must be a technically
excellent player. Cassano is one but he's not the only one,"
Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani told reporters.
Juventus, six points behind Milan in second, visit
Chievo on Sunday buoyed by the performances of their
young players in Thursday's meaningless 1-1 Europa League draw
with Manchester City.
Filippo Boniperti, grandson of Juve great Giampiero
Boniperti, made his debut while 19-year-old Niccolo Giannetti
scored but neither are expected to make the bench on Sunday
despite a number of injuries and Felipe Melo's suspension.
Third-placed Napoli, riddled with suspensions and
without injured forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, are already looking
beyond Sunday's final match of the year at home to Lecce by planning their January transfer activity.
Estudiantes defender Federico Fernandez is travelling to
Naples to try to tie up a deal either for immediately or in
June.
"I'm very ready to join straight way, let's see what type
of deal the clubs can strike," the 21-year-old Argentine told
Gazzetta dello Sport.
Lazio, level on points with Juve and Napoli, will miss
injured striker Sergio Floccari at home to Udinese on Sunday so Tommaso Rocchi is set to deputise.
A new forward could be in the offing in January as the
Romans try to maintain their surprise title push with Werder
Bremen's Hugo Almeida a favourite of Edy Reja.
"We tried to get him in the summer but it broke down
because of small details. We could try again," the coach told
reporters.
Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore has told reporters he
has extended his contract to 2015 ahead of Sunday's trip to
Bari.
The new deal is designed to up the price for the
highly-rated Argentine should any of Europe's top clubs call.
Bologna travel to Parma on Sunday with
uncertainty continuing over their ownership.
Sergio Porcedda, whose side were deducted a point for
unpaid taxes, has held talks with the head of coffee company
Segafredo over a sale of the club but a deal is some way off.
Bologna's players have not been paid in two months and
could use labour laws to all walk out for free in January if
the situation is not resolved.
Sampdoria meet Genoa in the city derby on Sunday
before Serie A shuts down for a winter break until January 6.
A
win for either side would put them above seventh-placed
champions Inter Milan, who are not in league action for a
second straight weekend because of their involvement in the
Club World Cup.