Matteo Ferrari

The deal to take Jo back for another loan spell seems all but done. Which is a relief. For me, Jo, a fit-again Yak, Saha and young James Vaughan is a good group of strikers to have on the books. Back fill with the midfield threat of Cahill and Fellaini and we don't look too shabby. The real difference maker will be a flying, goal-scoring winger, and we haven't seen one of those since The Russian so I won't hold my breath.

Elsewhere today, I noticed that a former loanee, Italian Matteo Ferrari has moved from Genoa to Besiktas, the lesser known Istanbul relations of Galatasaray and Fenerbache. I think Amokachi went there from Everton in the mid-90s? Ferrari took a while to get going when he arrived on loan from Roma, slotting in at full-back and centre-back. But then I recall he started playing regularly alongside Yobo in the centre of the defence and things improved, especially a rearguard action at Fratton Park. At the end of the season, Ferrari was allowed to return to Rome as Moyes decided to 'look elsewhere'. That elsewhere turned out to be Joleon Lescott so things turned out just fine.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/07/05/1365799/matteo-ferraris-transfer-to-besiktas-almost-done-agent

Making Ferrari more impressive is his missus, a TV presenter / model / general all good-looking thing called Aida (below).