A recap of Cittadella’s chaotic deadline day

What on earth has just happened today? Three signings, and three departures headline a crazy ending to the Granata‘s transfer window.

Just 24 hours ago, Ignacio Lores Varela looked to be Cittadella’s one and only signing that sporting director Stefano Marchetti had produced. On top of that, no departures were on the move to other clubs.

After all, the club made it very clear January was going to be a quiet month in the mercato for Cittadella. Marchetti and president Andrea Gabrielli liked the way the team had performed for the first half of the season, and desired to keep a core group of players in tact under Edoardo Gorini.

But now, seemly at the last moment, Cittadella exploded onto the market with hours to go. It was a chaotic day, and even I couldn’t keep up with all the news and departures.

If you’re like me, and trying to figure out what just happened, here’s a recap of what went down on January 31st.

The arrivals

Our first new signing to talk about, and the first announced today, is Dario Del Fabro.

A Cagliari homegrown, Del Fabro last played in Belgium before his loan ended with Juventus U23. The center back has also played in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands before coming here to Cittadella. Now on a permanent contract until 2023, Del Fabro looks to add more strength in the defense, especially after Adorni’s departure (more on that later).

Santiago Visentin, another center back, was made official by the club just five hours after Del Fabro. Originally from Argentina, Visentin has spend most of his career in Italy, bouncing in the lower tiers. He was signed by Crotone last summer, but has only appeared in seven matches with the club. Visentin still has a lot to grow in his first season in Serie B while still being only 22 years old.

The last player announced as a new signing was Karim Laribi. On a loan deal until the end of this season, Laribi appears as a fantastic pick up by the Granata. With lots of Serie B experiences, and a dash of Serie A experience with Sassuolo, Laribi can add more attacking numbers going forward, and may fill in for the spot of Christian D’Urso.

The departures

Let’s get the biggest news of the day out of the way to start.

Davide Adorni, captain for Cittadella and a critical piece in the team, as been sold to Brescia for an estimated 1 million euros. Arriving in 2017, Adorni has been a part of Cittadella’s incredible rise and promotion bid.

Rumors had been circulating throughout the winter, but always looked unlikely given the importance Adorni brought to the team. In a turn of events, the center back leaves Cittadella to our promotion rivals.

Another departure that was making noise but wasn’t official until today: Christian D’Urso is now a new Perugia player. He’s another player that although didn’t start much this season, was a game changer coming off the bench. D’Urso spent two and a half seasons at the Granata, but now turns his attention to his new journey in Umbria.

And finally, one more departure to mention. Luigi Cuppone will be loaned to Potenza, as the striker is in need for a fresh start. Coming into Cittadella last summer, we were hoping to see the attacking firepower he had shown at Casertana. It didn’t quiet workout, but maybe a change in environment can help the forward with game time and confidence.

Final thoughts and grade

What was supposed to be a quiet and in-active transfer market has turned into an eventful afternoon/evening for Cittadella fans. We end with four newly signed players and three departures.

The attack is looking solid with the new backups like Lores Varela and Laribi. The defense has gotten much needed reinforcements with the likes of Del Fabro and Vinentin, especially after losing Adorni. It’ll be interesting to see where Gorini will put Laribi, as he can play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder.

As much as I feel good about the new attack and defense, Adorni leaving stings. It really stings.

A leader, and a captain that has been with us forever. Despite us getting extra cash from the deal, it’s near impossible to replace your captain. But now this turns to the Cittadella board: was this the right call? Yes, we get two new center back in addition to Frare and Ciriello. But Adorni is our captain, and one of our best players. Selling our captain and an important piece of your team halfway through the season?

In the end, I think it’s a solid transfer market for Marchetti and something Cittadella fans should be looking forward to. I give this January window a respectable 7 out of 10 (1 being lowest, 10 be highest).

Will we see our new signings in action soon? Cittadella visit Crotone next Saturday, with kickoff at 8am EST.