In bars, café tables or on newsstands, Serie A fans all over Italy read and discuss transfer rumours, hoping that their team will sign a star.
None more so than the supporters of Inter Milan, who are well aware of the need to a rebuild. One signing that has already been completed is that of center back Jeison Murillo. This may have gone under the radar but it just could prove to be a very astute move.
President Erick Thohir was talking to Sky Sport Italia about Mauro Icardi's contract extension when he was quizzed on comments made by his Sporting Director Piero Ausilio. He had mentioned that Roberto Mancini had requested eight or nine players for next season in a complete revamp of the Inter squad. Thohir responded by reminding the reporter that they had already made a signing back in February, that of Colombian center back Murillo from La Liga side Granada. This "forgotten transfer" is perhaps a gamble but it certainly a calculated one.
Since the move was completed in February after the transfer deadline, the 22-year-old Murillo finished the season with Granada and will join Inter in July. The deal itself cost the Nerazzurri €8 million (with €2 euros in potential bonuses), which in today's market is relatively cheap. He will earn €1m a year according to Granada President Quique Pina.
Is this a gamble worth taking for Inter? It seems so as the Colombian, although rough around the edges, has all the characteristics to succeed in Serie A. He is young and also quick, is excellent in the air and is a superb tackler. He is prone to lapses in concentration and did take some time to come back from an injury this year but his potential far outweighs these issues.
Over two seasons in Spain with Granada, he played 51 times and chipped in with a goal and an assist. He averaged 83.3 percent passing accuracy from an average of over 30.5 per game. This is even more impressive when he averages that accuracy while also playing an average of 4.4 long balls per game.
With an average of 1.8 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game he is a very involved and integral part of his team. In comparison, he appears to be in the same mould as Inter's young South American centre-back in Juan Jesus, as his statistics are similar. This could bode well for the club.
Inter had a torrid time defensively last season and the partnership between Andrea Ranocchia and Juan Jesus still hasn't gelled as many would have liked. Nemanja Vidic also looked his age (33) this campaign and was guilty of some critical errors that certainly cost his team at times.
He also did not manage to enforce his experience on the team and failed to build a partnership. Marco Andreolli looked very useful alongside both Juan Jesus and Ranocchia but bizarrely was used little by Mancini, which suggested a lack of trust in him. The 34-year-old Hugo Campagnaro looked past his best and generally was ineffective.
For the price, Murillo is certainly a gamble worth taking. He is young but Mancini will hope that he can mould him potentially to operate alongside Juan Jesus. These two South Americans at 22 and 23 years of age could perhaps become Inter's center back pairing for many years to come. Even if he doesn't work out, it is likely that due to his age and potential that another club in the future may also take a gamble on him and allow Inter to regain some of the €8 million outlay.
Inter's lack of European football means that they will not be able to shop in the elite markets for every player, especially for the amount of recruits that Mancini wants. This does not mean that they cannot buy quality; the club just needs good scouting and shrewd operations in the window. Murillo looks to be the first piece of the jigsaw and could be a very shrewd move.
Only time will tell if this was a risk worth taking but on the face of it the positives certainly out weight the negatives.