Serie A Transfer Intrigue: Dibu's Injury and Milan's Ambitions
San Siro under the lights, a title race tightening in the shadows, and a market already humming before winter has even arrived. Matchday 10 in Serie A opens with a derby and a drumbeat of transfer intrigue that stretches from Turin to Naples, from Rome to Florence.
Dibu’s pain, Juve’s missed chance
Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez has never hidden from pressure. Now he has revealed just how far he went to stay on the pitch – and what it cost him.
Speaking to Olé, the Argentina goalkeeper described the aftermath of the serious finger injury he suffered in the Europa League final. Doctors, he said, told him he needed around ten weeks out and surgery. He played anyway. Through pain, against medical advice, refusing to come off the stage.
The price? According to Martinez’s own account, a move to Juventus collapsed because of that very injury. The condition of his finger reportedly scared off the Bianconeri, closing a door that had been pushed almost fully open. At Chelsea, he added, he kept playing despite the same problem and the looming need for an operation.
A keeper built on defiance, but this time the gamble left a mark on his career, not just his hand.
Milan load the gun for Amorim
Across the city, Milan are not waiting for the January window to creak open. They are already drawing up a shopping list tailored to Rúben Amorim’s demands.
La Gazzetta dello Sport and Fabrizio Romano report that the coach’s first request is clear: a centre-back who can defend aggressively and build from the back with authority. At the top of that list sits Gonçalo Inacio of Sporting, valued at around €40–45 million and already a long-time favourite of Amorim.
The plan does not stop at the back line. Gerry Cardinale wants a statement in attack. Endrick remains a dream target, a player the ownership admires, but Real Madrid are not inclined to let him leave in January. So Milan look elsewhere for a number nine.
Club Brugge’s Nicolò Tresoldi is firmly on the radar. A deal is more likely next summer than in the winter rush, yet his name keeps circling around Casa Milan. Quietly, methodically, the Rossoneri are preparing the squad Amorim believes can carry his ideas at full speed.
Inter eye Chiesa and lock down Dimarco
On the blue-and-black side of the city, the gaze is already fixed on January – and on a familiar Italian name currently struggling for minutes in England.
Federico Chiesa has emerged as a potential opportunity for Inter, according to TMW. The forward is getting limited playing time at Liverpool, and a return to Serie A cannot be excluded. A loan with an option to buy is among the formulas being weighed, the kind of low-risk, high-upside move that can tilt a title race.
While that possibility simmers, Inter are moving decisively with one of their own. Federico Dimarco is close to signing a new deal that would keep him at the club until 2031, a long-term commitment to the left flank that has become one of their most potent weapons.
Behind him, the club are already scouting the next wave. Shakhtar Donetsk’s Pedrinho is on the notebook, with the Ukrainian side valuing him at around €25 million. Inter’s present is secure; their recruitment suggests they want the future tied down as well.
Napoli wait on Neres – and a fitter squad
Napoli’s most important addition in the coming weeks might not arrive by plane, but by medical clearance.
Corriere dello Sport reports encouraging news on David Neres. The Brazilian is ramping up his recovery and could rejoin the squad as early as the clash with Lazio, the final league match before the international break. The message from Castel Volturno is cautious: no unnecessary risks, no rushed returns, but genuine optimism.
Alisson Santos and Favasuli will need a little more time. Both are progressing well, yet they are not expected back in full training until after the break. If all goes to plan, Allegri could suddenly find himself with three important players returning within a few weeks, transforming his options for rotation just as the calendar begins to bite.
For a side juggling domestic and European demands, fresh legs might be as valuable as any January signing.
Roma miss Rowe as Atalanta pounce
In Rome, a transfer story has surfaced that stings a little more because of how close it came.
Jonathan Rowe ended up at Atalanta in a deal that underlined the Bergamo club’s ambition: a €5 million loan fee, a €30 million obligation to buy, and a further €5 million in bonuses – the most expensive signing in their history. Yet, according to Tuttomercatoweb, the winger had first been identified by Gian Piero Gasperini as an ideal reinforcement for Roma.
The Giallorossi moved. Talks were opened, and sporting director Tony D’Amico spent significant time trying to get the deal across the line. It never happened. When Roma hesitated, Atalanta struck, seizing the opportunity and closing the operation.
Roma were left empty-handed, watching a target they had tracked pull on a different shirt in Serie A. In a league where margins are thin, that kind of near-miss can linger.
Lazio’s Taylor draws English eyes
Lazio, meanwhile, are discovering the double-edged sword of good business.
Kenneth Taylor’s recent form has lit up their midfield. Two goals and an assist in his last two league games have not gone unnoticed. TransferFeed, via LaLazioSiamoNoi, reports that Brighton and Bournemouth have both set their sights on the Dutchman.
Both Premier League clubs could move as early as January. Bournemouth, in particular, are said to be viewing Taylor as a possible successor to Alex Scott. For Lazio, the numbers would be tempting: the former Ajax player would generate a significant capital gain.
Yet Gennaro Gattuso has built Taylor into one of the pillars of his side. Letting him go mid-season would rip out a key piece of the structure just as Lazio try to stabilise their campaign. The market may call, but the sporting cost would be enormous.
Fiorentina face a fight for Thorstvedt
Fiorentina know all about transfer frustration. They might be heading for another dose.
Kristian Thorstvedt was already on their radar last summer, a Sassuolo midfielder seen as an ideal fit in Florence. The move never materialised. Now, as reported by calciomercato.it, Lazio have joined the race.
The Norwegian’s contract runs until June 2027. Without an extension, the prospect of prising him away on favourable terms grows more realistic, and both clubs are watching closely. Fiorentina could relaunch their pursuit as early as January, but Lazio have reportedly already made contact with his representatives, who are open to discussions.
The battle lines are drawn. For Thorstvedt, the next move could define the next stage of his career. For Fiorentina and Lazio, it is one more contest in a market that never sleeps – even on a derby day when all eyes are on San Siro and the football, for a few hours at least, finally drowns out the rumours.
