The story between Mario Situm and Catanzaro is not over yet. There is no agreement on the renewal yet, but the distances that were substantial in recent weeks are significantly reducing. The club is willing to meet the full-back’s request, who in turn seems more inclined to stay thanks to an agreement that, like the other recently confirmed veterans, would be extended for another season with an option for the following one, therefore until June 30, 2026 with the possibility of reaching the 2027 finish line. For a thirty-two year old player like the Croatian, the opportunity is clear, just as it is right that the club, already having in the squad a reliable, experienced, charismatic and also multifaceted element like “Super Mario”, does not let him slip away. Until a few days ago the renewal seemed difficult, now it is much less so and it may be that it will soon be defined with white smoke (for Situm as for Pompetti and Brighenti).
Four minutes away from their official debut in the Italian Cup and twelve minutes away from their debut in the championshipsporting director Ciro Polito is also accelerating the negotiations needed to complete the team. The goal is to close at least a couple this week.
Meanwhile, the discussion about Manolo Portanova is not over yet: the offensive wildcard seemed to be on his way back to Reggio Emilia, but Catanzaro’s offers to Genoa and to the player himself turned out to be better than those of the Emilians. So the game is open, given that the Grifone is clearly oriented towards sending him on loan to whoever asks for a lower participation in the salary: Catanzaro would pay 80%, Reggiana has not gone beyond 50% so far. Portanova had already said yes to the Emilians, where he was very good in the last tournament, but he continues to be tempted by the Giallorossi. If the Eagles were to manage to get him, they would make a great move considering the technical qualities and tactical versatility of the boy, who can be used in the attacking midfield, as a centre-back or as a winger, but also in the middle of the pitch, alongside Petriccione, Pontisso or Pompetti.
As for the external offensive sector, in addition to the “usual” Matteo Della Morte, for whom there is constant progress with Vicenza, but not enough to get him to the right point of cooking, Catanzaro is also concretely thinking about another profile in that role: Nicolò Buso, one of the best among the Lombards in the year that ended with relegation, asked Lecco. Twenty-four years old from Treviso, either right or left winger, as well as second striker, Buso is coming off a tournament with nine goals and three assists, his best in the three championships played among professionals, always with Lecco. It is almost impossible that Buso will remain in C, Catanzaro represents a solution even if the initial request of the Lombard club was stellar, out of the market. We will talk about it soon.
As for the full-backs, the now probable renewal of Situm does not mean that Polito has stopped looking for two more: one for the right lane, an alternative to the Croatian, the other for the left, where Andrea Ceresoli is always the object of contention with Palermo.
