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There's still nearly a month of the Premier League season left to go, but the real season has already begun. Silly season. And truly, it is silly.
The latest hot transfer rumor is that Josip Radošević, labeled a "Napoli reject" is on his way from Italy to Aston Villa. This one comes courtesy of talkSPORT, so that right there should tell you exactly what you need to know.
But in case you're tempted to believe that Villa really are close to clinching the young midfielder, let's break this thing down.
First off, we're told that Radošević is a "Napoli misfit." In reality, the Croatian is just 20 years old, and plays on a team whose midfield boasts the Swiss trio of Gokhan Inler, Valon Behrami and Blerim Džemaili. The partenopei also just picked up Jorginho in January, and while he's not a true defensive midfielder, he's top choice to start beside one of the destroyers.
Now that might mean Radošević should be ready to find a new home. But it's far more likely that one of the other three - Džemaili in particular - is on his way out. Radošević is young and he's cheap, and Rafa Benítez and his coaching staff will be able to mold him.
The article also says that Radošević has never started for Napoli. Untrue - he played the full 90 in Napoli's Coppa Italia win over Atalanta. He's also made six appearances from the bench, which isn't exactly a poor total for a player who's young and new to the squad.
It's also necessary to remember that, assuming they don't massively screw up in their final few games, Napoli are on their way to Champions League football again next season. Considering their performance in the Coppa this year, it's likely the partenopei will be competing on three fronts again. That requires a deep squad with plenty of talent in every position. Come August, Napoli know their priorities need to be defense and another solid forward. They're not going to want to mess around with selling a defensive midfielder, only to search for another to add.
Plus, is this really the position that Villa need to be chasing? Sure, it can be argued that the squad needs added depth everywhere. But even if Radošević comes cheap, he still comes at a cost. With limited resources, focus should be on finding at least one more centerback, getting Ryan Bertrand to sign a contract, and finding some guy that can actually score goals. The Karim El Ahmadi - Ashley Westwood - Fabian Delph combo is about the only thing that's worked out this season, and with others able to step in to midfield, Villa should concentrate on other areas.
Like, for instance, someone that can create the goals scored by the unnamed player to be signed in the summer. That guy is not Josip Radošević.
