Another summer, another round of Domenico Berardi transfer speculation. The difference this year is that the conditions appear more favourable than at any previous point. Following a serious injury in March 2024 and Sassuolo’s relegation to Serie B, Berardi has spent the past season reminding Serie A audiences of exactly what he can do — producing the kind of form that has characterised his entire career at the Emilian club. Now 31, he has not missed the boat. But the window in which to act is narrowing.
Why This Summer Is Different
Calciomercato report how Sassuolo are going through a period of profound transition. The departures of both manager Fabio Grosso — replaced by Alberto Aquilani — and, most significantly, chief executive Giovanni Carnevali, who has moved to Juventus, have created a rare moment of institutional flux at a club that has long been one of Serie A’s most stable. That transition could open the door that has remained firmly shut during so many previous summers.
The Carnevali connection is not insignificant. The new Juventus chief executive knows Berardi better than almost anyone in Italian football, having worked alongside him for the best part of a decade at Sassuolo. That personal understanding — of the player’s character, his value, and the right price to pay — could prove decisive in negotiations.
Zoff’s Endorsement Carries Weight
The intervention of Dino Zoff in this debate is not to be dismissed lightly. Asked directly earlier today whether Berardi had missed his chance to join a major club, the legendary former Juventus goalkeeper was unequivocal: “Absolutely not. In the context of an ambitious Juventus, he can still make a real contribution. He is an excellent player, and I have no doubt he would settle into the role without any difficulty.” For a club now actively seeking Italian personalities and technical quality in wide areas, that assessment from one of the club’s most revered figures adds fuel to what is already a genuine conversation.
The Obstacle: Sassuolo’s Reluctance to Sell
The stumbling block, as it has been in every previous window, is Sassuolo’s own position. The club’s new hierarchy — still taking shape following Carnevali’s departure — will need to decide whether the time has finally come to cash in on their most iconic player, or whether Berardi remains central to their ambitions of returning to Serie A under Aquilani.
If the answer is the latter, no amount of Zoff endorsements or Carnevali connections will be sufficient to move the deal forward. But if Sassuolo accept that the moment to sell has arrived — and that Carnevali’s move to Turin makes a clean negotiation more straightforward than it might otherwise be — then the transfer that Italian football has discussed for years could finally happen. For Berardi, the train is still in the station. Whether it departs this summer remains the question.
