OFFICIAL: Castrovilli loaned to Cremonense

When Pantaleo Corvino bought Gaetano Castrovilli from Bari last January, many experts on Italian football considered it a coup. The playmaker has been compared to Antonio Cassano throughout his brief career due to his trickery and creativity on the ball. After spending the spring with the Viola Primavera, management has determined he’s ready for a bigger challenge, which he’ll get in Serie B with Cremonense.

This won’t be Castrovilli’s first Serie B action, though. He made 11 appearances in the second division with Bari last year, so he should fit right in. Indeed, he could be one of the more experienced hands for the newly-promoted Grigiorossi. He should fit in nicely, as his new team is clearly an attack-minded one, scoring a league-high 68 goals in the Lega Pro last year.

Castrovilli’s primary job will be to unseat Pasquale Maiorino as the number ten in manager Attilio Tesser’s 4-3-1-2, which won’t be an easy ask considering that Maiorino struck 9 goals last term. Thankfully, though, the Viola loanee is sound enough to play a bit farther back as well, and should slot into the midfield three if he can’t get past the incumbent. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise, as he’ll really have to hone his defensive chops to keep his spot, given that Cremonense will probably be under constant pressure as Serie B’s new boys.

All in all, this is a good piece of business for everyone involved. Cremonense get, at worst, a player who can provide cover as the playmaker, and will probably earn a starting role sooner rather than later. Castrovilli will get a chance to start for the Lombardians and prove his worth. Fiorentina will get to see if he’s ready for a step up next year, or if he’s still a season or two away from stepping into the first team.