Maresca in Juventus switch?

27 January 2000

The local media are now awash with stories regarding the possible sale of Enzo Maresca to Italian Serie A leaders Juventus. It was first broken on Capital Gold Birmingham by Tom Ross last night, although official confirmation seems to be hard to come by - however, Maresca has apparently been pulled from the squad for Saturday's game against Swindon. The transfer deadline for the Italian League is this weekend, which gives Enzo just enough time to get over there and get the deal done and dusted in time for next week.

So how much are we going to receive for this talented youngster - one that many people are saying is the hottest prospect at Albion for decades? The figure being quoted is £4.5 million - not a bad return for someone we signed for free through a loophole in the Italian regulations only 18 months ago. There has also been mention of a couple of players coming in the other direction as part of the detail - one of whom is former Middlesbrough midfielder Ronnie O'Brien - but no suggestion as to whether they will be "knocked off" the price or "thrown in" in place of a higher sum. The other player has just been described as "A Nigerian"...

What will the sale mean to Albion? Well, we know what a bad financial state the Club is in - we keep being told this by the Board - and this sort of money could make a big difference. However, we still remember the sale of Kilbane - for which the manager got absolutely nothing to spend on a squad that already needed strengthening - and if the same happens again there will be some seriously unhappy Albion fans. That last sale spelt the end for Chairman Tony Hale, although the view now is that he was already doomed by his decision to settle the libel case brought by Thompson out of court (the settlement was announced and read out in court on the day of his resignation). Hale had already lent the Club money in the absence of the £2.6 million he'd promised to Shareholders at his re-election, and the sale of Kilbane seems to be the only way he had of getting that money back before being deposed. One of the most upsetting aspects of the deal was Hale's statement that we would not be forced into selling our best players - and then his attempts to justify it on the grounds that Kilbane would have left for nothing in 18 months time anyway. Another was the fact that the price was well below that which any Albion fan would have considered reasonable for a full International left winger - a position many Clubs are finding very hard to fill. What was also significant was that Kilbane was apparently sold without the knowledge and/or consent of Brian Little - a situation that very nearly resulted in the managers resignation.

Thompson, however, has handled the sale - if, of course, it takes place - in a very different manner. When asked for a promise that Maresca would not be sold he refused to give it, saying that the decision would be Little's. The price, of £4.5 million, for a very young and inexperienced player - however talented - is far less insulting than the fee for Kilbane. With Maresca's history at Youth level and his imminent prospects of a place in the full Italian squad, most fans knew deep down inside that it was only a matter of time before he left, and that hopes of building a team around him would be doomed to fail. Worse still, the longer we held on to him, the more chance of us getting nothing at all for him.

For all the fuss over Enzo, the fact remains that the team hasn't performed all that well when he's been playing. Yes, he's got skill in abundance, but how many times has he tried to run past one player too many and lost the ball as a result? Considering he couldn't get a first team place at the start of the season, and has only really had an extended run because of the injury to Sean Flynn, the money doesn't seem too bad. But the key issue is "where will it go?" If it all comes back to Little (or, at least, the lion's share of it) and gets spent wisely, it could be the best thing to happen to us for years. Selling Robbie Keane to Coventry didn't do Wolves much harm, did it? They seem to be getting stronger by the day. That sort of money could provide the squad with more strength in depth than Maresca ever could, and could certainly hold the key to progress up the Division - something Maresca couldn't seem to help us with. Given Thompson's statement that Little would have the final say, it's hard to see how he won't be given the money to strengthen the team - otherwise why would he agree to the sale?

So best of luck, Enzo - you're going to need it to get into Juve's first team! But in a few years time, when you're holding that World Cup with your countrymen, remember us...

Previous Stories:

  26 January 2000:  Tiny wee snippets of gossip

  21 January 2000:  Thompson looking for Clean Sweep

  07 January 2000:  Baggies Band the target of unwelcome abuse

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