Commonly known as the “defensive league” by some nay-sayers, Serie A was awash with goals last season. A number of exciting, attacking sides at the top of the table along with one of the greatest escapes you will ever see from lowly Crotone.
However, even with a representative in the Champions League final, no one can escape the grasp of awful transfer activity. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the worst deals from last summer.
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#10 Cristian Ansaldi – Inter Milan
On paper, this looked like a pretty sound deal in the summer. In need of a left-back to replace the declining Yuto Nagatomo, the 30-year-old’s solid season at Genoa was convincing enough for Inter to splash a little bit of cash.
The only problem was that the Argentine failed to live up to expectations. Towards the end of the campaign, his agent had to insist his client wanted to remain in Milan even though his poor performances only added to Internazionale’s woes.
That can sometimes be the risk in Italian football, where they tend to be a little more willing to take a risk on an older player. Even so, with the road only looking more difficult in the future, it’s hard to see Ansaldi really establish himself as a regular at the Giuseppe Meazza.
#9 Lucas Ocampos – AC Milan
By now, everyone should question whether Lucas Ocampos is a hypnotist that just fools people into signing him. The Argentine has bounced from a big money signing in Monaco, to a surprise move to Marseille, then a loan move to Genoa that then turned into a jump to AC Milan.
His move to Serie A started okay, scoring three goals in 17 games, but what possessed the Rossoneri to sign him up seems alien to most. Despite being a replacement for Mbaye Niang, he started just four games, appearing in another eight but managed to put up one assist in that time with zero goals.
He returns to L’OM this summer again looking for his next club to cast a spell on. Hopefully this time someone will actually look at some reports on him and have actually watched him play, rather than see the cash Monaco stumped up for him as a teenager when they were still in Ligue 2.
#8 Joe Hart – Torino
When you’re more worried about your dandruff than your shot-stopping, you get Joe Hart. Despite some in England demanding his return home due to the calamities of Claudio Bravo, they probably didn’t see those in Turin packing his suitcase for him just in case.
Averaging 1.72 goals conceded per game and just five clean sheets, it was clear that he wasn’t the one keeping Torino in the European race, if not hindering it. It makes you start to wonder where Il Toro may have finished had it not been for the goals of Andrea Belotti up front.
Also read: Joe Hart's season at Torino vindicates Pep Guardiola's decision to let him leave Manchester City
While the Rooster might fetch big bucks this summer, the England international might be lucky if he’s picked up in the bargain bin by a quality team. It was a brave move to try a move abroad but if anything, it exposed his weaknesses to a wider audience.
#7 Thomas Vermaelen – Roma
A doctor should be within 100 yards of Thomas Vermaelen at all times, just in case. The Belgian joined AS Roma from Barcelona on loan for the season after winning La Liga and the Copa del Ray over the last two years with the Catalan giants.
However, he barely saw the field then and he barely saw the field in Roma’s attempts to fight for the Scudetto. A stint of chronic groin pain, followed by calf issues and a hand injury before he kindly sat on the bench to watch everyone else not injure themselves for 90 minutes ensued.
Also read: Where are they now: AS Roma's 2000/01 Serie A-winning squad
Joking aside, to see a player that had such quality be diminished through injury is both upsetting and infuriating. Even at 31, he might have to start weighing up whether it’s worth the constant comebacks and need to regain fitness or whether retirement should be his choice rather than enforced somewhere down the line.
#6 Emanuele Giaccherini – Napoli
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me so many times that it’s getting a little silly? That’s kind of where we are with the Italian enigma that is Emanuele Giaccherini.
The diminutive Italian has jumped from Serie A winner with Juventus to forgotten man at Sunderland, Nerazzurri saviour with the national team to club sanctuary with Bologna. So who did we get in Naples? A non-factor really, who scored once in the 16 limited appearances he got this season with only one start.
Despite playing 90 minutes several times for Italy in the European Championships, the 32-year-old played more than 45 minutes in a game just once all season. With age creeping up on him and his chances of breaking into Maurizio Sarri’s first team incredibly slim to almost impossible, it might be time for another move that might flip Giaccherini again.
#5 Gabriel Barbosa – Inter Milan
From Gabigol to Gabigoaway in a matter of months. Herald by many as the new Neymar and following in the footsteps of other Samba stars in Ronaldo and Adriano, it was no surprise that there was a lot of excitement for a new hitman at the San Siro.
It was a quiet start, with the €29.5m man starting on the bench before having a brief glimpse of him against Bologna in September. He then faded into the background again, with only sporadic moments for such an expensive player with only a single goal to show for it.
He even had to apologise to the fans for storming off after being an unused sub against Lazio and the club are reportedly looking to loan him out to try and get him settled in Europe. Never has the hype died down so quickly.
#4 Anthony Mounier – Atalanta
This one is strange so stick with it here, it gets a little peculiar. Anthony Mounier started the season at his parent club Bologna, where he was rarely used under Roberto Donadoni.
Keen for a change of scenery, the 29-year-old decided on a return to his native France on loan with Saint-Etienne. However, just four days and zero games into the deal, Les Verts cancelled it under pressure from their fans who were furious of quotes made by the player about their club while he was at OGC Nice back in 2012.
A few more bizarre games on the bench and he was on his way again, to high-flying Atalanta. He proceeded to barely contribute, his longest stint on the field coming in an half-an-hour showing in the 7-1 drubbing dealt by Inter and there ends the tale of one strange old season for Mounier.
#3 Clement Grenier – AS Roma
Unable to regain his spot with Lyon, Clement Grenier was given a footballing lifeline by Roma in the winter transfer window, with both hoping for a profitable relationship. The Frenchman could rediscover his dazzling form and the capital club could maybe get that extra push in their battle against Napoli and Juventus.
Unfortunately, that sounds more like a lie each party told themselves rather than the reality. The 26-year-old amassed just 150 minutes on the field for Roma, creating an assist in his only start against the hapless and eventually relegated Palermo.
It’s back to square one for the Lyon maestro, who has been ravaged by injuries since his breakout seasons between 2012 and 2014. It was worth the risk at least on both parties but Roma will be looking elsewhere this summer for some extra attacking flair.
#2 Gerson – AS Roma
You know what, now I see why Roma called Monchi to really sort out the underbelly of the football club. Gerson, linked to Barcelona the year before, was signed for €16m but has only seen 130 minutes of action this season.
No goals and no assists in Serie A, sitting on the bench for the entirety of the second half of the season, the young Brazilian already looks like he might be a right off. He actually did reasonably well in the Europa League against weaker opposition, where he even grabbed an assist, but again did not play at all when it mattered.
With a new regime in place, could he have a chance again or could the new era see him as a mistake of the past? Only time will tell. If anything, the 20-year-old needs to find more game time next season and get himself back on track, whether that be in Rome or elsewhere.
#1 Alberto Paloschi – Atalanta
A man loved at Chievo who left for the glamour of the Premier League, Alberto Paloschi returned to Italy hoping to get over a miserable six months in Wales. His £8m move to Swansea never quite worked out, scoring just once yet a move to Atalanta could have been the reset he needed.
Only, he’d left his goal scoring touch in Verona. Much like at the Liberty Stadium, despite a few promising showings, he really struggled to find the back of the net before only successfully finding his name etched onto the back of the substitute’s bench for the rest of the season.
Zero goals, zero assists and admittedly, the surprise package were better without him. The 27-year-old might have something left in the tank but not with La Dea. But will a third team take a risk of losing money on a non-factor like Paloschi?
