Monza Transfer Market: Matteo Pessina’s Serious Injury Prompts the Brianza-Based Club to Reach Out to Inter
A massive blow for Ivan Juric’s Monza, which has been forced to do without one of the key players on a team that underwent significant changes during the summer transfer window.
Medical tests conducted on Matteo Pessina revealed a dislocated patella in his right knee. The midfielder has decided to undergo surgery, after which he will begin his rehabilitation program: The red-and-white club is trying to make up for the loss and has once again approached Inter to secure a loan for Yanis Massolin, born in 2002, who earned a call-up from Inter thanks to his performances at Modena.
The Brianza native’s recovery time will inevitably be long. In the best-case scenario, he could return toward the end of October, though it seems more realistic to expect him back on the field between November and December. Juric will therefore have to do without his leader for much of the early part of the season.
Massolin joined Inter during the winter transfer window, when the Nerazzurri officially announced his permanent transfer from Modena. The young midfielder had impressed Inter’s management with his performances in Serie B, and now a loan move to Monza could provide him with the perfect opportunity to test himself in Serie A.
The midfield crisis isn’t the only unresolved issue at the Brianza-based club. On the outgoing front, the situation involving Andrea Petagna is taking center stage, as he does not fit into Juric’s plans: the Croatian coach has identified Patrick Cutrone as his first choice at center forward, effectively relegating the former Napoli player to a marginal role. Paolo Bianco’s Pisa—which already worked with Petagna last season in Brianza, culminating in promotion to Serie A—has made a decisive move to bring him back to Tuscany. The main obstacle remains the 1995-born player’s salary, which exceeds 2.5 million euros per year: a high figure by Monza’s standards, which could be mitigated through a loan deal in which Monza would share in the payment of his salary. As part of the same deal, Pisa could include the transfer rights of Idrissa Tourè, a German-Guinean midfielder set to leave the Tuscan club and being closely monitored by the Brianza-based management.
Meanwhile, the schedule waits for no one. Monza is set to face Avellino in the Round of 32 of the Coppa Italia in the coming days, with the prospect—should they advance—of facing the winner of Torino vs. Carrarese in the Round of 16 and then Milan in the Round of 8. It’s a challenging run that Juric will have to tackle right from the start without his captain.
