Mercato Madness: Palermo considering Bruno Uvini

It looks as though Palermo are about to lose Argentine defender Ezequiel Munoz to AC Milan (a deal Napoli should have tried to trump, but that's another story), and they might be looking to Naples to try and find his replacement.

Napoli just had Brazilian center back Bruno Uvini return from a year-long loan at Santos in his native country, but Uvini managed just 11 appearances while he was there. Uvini was once seen as a prospect on the rise, captaining Brazil's U-20 side for a spell and even making three appearances with the Brazilian senior national team. He's been little more than a disappointment with Napoli, though, making just two first-team appearances since joining in 2012 and failing to make any notable impact in either loan he's had over the last two years.

Apparently Palermo think they can still get something out of the 23 year old, though, seeing him as a replacement for the departing Munoz in their squad. How much they would pay for him is unknown; he's under contract for two more seasons, so Napoli can use that as leverage, but it's also clear that the partenopei have little or no interest in him as a long-term part of the squad. If they can even recoup the €3 million they spent to get him in the first place, Napoli should consider it a job well done.

Uvini could theoretically be held on to as center back depth to allow Napoli to sell either Miguel Britos or Henrique, both of whom have been garnering transfer speculation in recent days, but the simple fact is that he isn't as good as either player, and Napoli need to upgrade on their spots in the squad, not take another step back. It's unfortunate that Uvini hasn't been able to make good on his once-promising potential, but hopefully he can find a home with another club that will, at least, allow him to be a useful player.