How Sampdoria could line up if they kept hold of their star talent

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Sampdoria is one of the most celebrated Italian clubs even if their glory days are behind them.

A first (and only) Serie A championship in 1991 – spearheaded by Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and Attilio Lombardo as well as goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca and centre-back Pietro Vierchowod – was followed by a European Cup final appearance the following year against Barcelona at Wembley.

They’d famously lose courtesy of an extra-time Ronald Koeman free-kick but the sky looked the limit.

However, despite a Coppa Italia win in 1994, the Genoa-based club would subsequently become a mid-table side, before suffering the ignominy of relegation in 1999, only to return 2003 before going back down nine years later.

Their last spell in Serie B lasted for one season and since returning Sampdoria have established their regular place. Though never threatening Italian football’s big boys it’s not quite accurate to say they’re bereft of talent.

If anything, Sampdoria in the last few years have enjoyed the talents of some of Europe’s top stars, but such is modern football and their position in it they are unable to keep hold of them.

So with that being said, how would Sampdoria shape up if those players have remained? We’ve given it a go.

Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero

Games for Sampdoria: 74

Sold to: Manchester United (free)

Current club: Manchester United

After four seasons with Dutch club AZ, whom he became champion with in 2009, the Argentine shot-stopper swapped Alkmaar for Genoa and would spend four years at Sampdoria albeit one of those campaigns was away on loan to Monaco.

Following his period in Ligue 1, which came on the back off a successful 2014 World Cup campaign, Romero would reunite with former AZ manager Louis van Gaal at Manchester United and that is where he remains today as David de Gea’s understudy.

Right-back: Lorenzo De Silvestri

Games for Sampdoria: 114

Sold to: Torino FC (€3.6m)

Current club: Torino FC

De Silvestri, a product of Lazio’s renowned academy, enjoyed four seasons at Sampdoria whom he joined from Fiorentina before making Torino his fourth home. To date, he’s won six international caps for Italy though five of those came whilst he was representing I Blucerchiati.

Centre-back: Milan Å kriniar

Games for Sampdoria: 38

Sold to: Inter Milan (up to €30m)

Current club: Inter Milan

Å kriniar would spend just one season (2016/17) at Sampdoria before Inter Milan signed him on a five-year deal. The impressive Slovakian centre-back, who has a huge admirer in Walter Samuel, has recently been heavily linked with the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Centre-back: Shkodran Mustafi

Games for Sampdoria: 53

Sold to: Valencia (€8m)

Current club: Arsenal

Everton’s loss was Sampdoria’s gain when they signed the former Hamburg academy graduate in the summer of 2012. Mustafi, who never made a Premier League appearance for the Toffees, hit the ground running in Italy and his subsequent central defensive performances – despite wearing the No.8 – led to an international call-up.

Being a pivotal figure in Germany’s victorious 2014 World Cup campaign ultimately saw Valencia acquire his signature and from there he’d relocate to north London.

Left-back: Nicola Murru

Games for Sampdoria: 34

Sold to: N/A

Current club: Sampdoria

Murru joined Sampdoria from hometown club Cagliari in 2017 after making no fewer than 98 league appearances. Presently he’s the first choice left-back under manager Marco Giampaolo.

Central midfielder: Lucas Torreira

Games for Sampdoria: 74

Sold to: Arsenal (£26m)

Current club: Arsenal

A graduate of Pescara’s academy, whom he joined from Montevideo Wanderers in his native Uruguay, Torreira became a La Samp player in 2016 after two eye-catching seasons in Serie B.

He’d quickly become one of Serie A’s most promising midfielders, through immaculate displays, and following the 2018 World Cup – in which he was one of Uruguay’s most impressive performers – he’d become one of Unai Emery’s first signings at the Emirates Stadium.

Central midfielder: Bruno Fernandes

Games for Sampdoria: 35

Sold to: Sporting CP (€8.5m)

Current club: Sporting CP

Fernandes, who currently has made no fewer than 11 appearances for his native Portugal, began his professional career in Italy with Novara before swapping them for Udinese. He’d eventually find his way at Sampdoria where his sole campaign, in which he registered five goals across 33 league outings, was enough to convince Sporting CP.

Right-wing: Luis Muriel

Games for Sampdoria: 84

Sold to: Sevilla FC (€20m)

Current club: Sevilla FC

Nicknamed “the Colombian Ronaldo”, in comparison to former Brazil striker Ronaldo, early into his career Muriel would be a registered Udinese player between 2010 and 2015. However, much of that time was spent on loan including at Sampdoria who made his temporary stay a permanent one. His final campaign saw him equal a career-best return of 11 league goals across 31 matches, enough for Sevilla to make him their man.

Second striker: Patrik Schick

Games for Sampdoria: 35

Sold to: AS Roma (up to €42m)

Current club: AS Roma

Another one-season wonder. Schick, who came through at Sparta Prague, would bag 11 goals across 32 Serie A matches for La Samp which unfortunately meant sharks circling around. In the end, they couldn’t resist Roma where the Czech striker is more or less Edin Dzeko’s back-up.

Left-wing: Joaquín Correa

Games for Sampdoria: 31

Sold to: Sevilla FC (up to €18m)

Current club: Lazio

Correa began his professional journey at Estudiantes before crossing the Atlantic to join Sampdoria in early 2015. Again, it was a brief stay as Sevilla snapped him up the following summer. His time in Spain would last two seasons as Lazio brought the versatile Argentine forward back to Serie A before the 2018/19 campaign.

Striker: Mauro Icardi

Games for Sampdoria: 33

Sold to: Inter Milan (€6.5m for 50% of registration rights)

Current club: Inter Milan

A former Barça academy graduate, Icardi never made the senior team but that didn’t quite spell the end as Sampdoria allowed him to showcase his talents. Inter Milan, watching from afar, won the race for his signature in 2013 – after he registered 10 goals in 31 Serie A games – and since then he’s become one of the most feared marksman across Europe.

The post How Sampdoria could line up if they kept hold of their star talent appeared first on Squawka News.



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