Bari's midfield is facing a gap. Maita surprisingly chooses Benevento.

BARI The flags are lowered, the revolution continues. Bari's transfer window continues to be marked by change. Mattia Maita, one of the last survivors of the promotion from Serie C to Serie B, who made 170 appearances and scored six goals for the red and whites from January 2020 to last May, will leave Puglia for Benevento. The 31-year-old Messina native will be leaving permanently, reuniting in Campania with Gaetano Auteri, the coach he previously worked with first at Catanzaro and then with the Galletti. The Sicilian midfielder will sign a three-year contract with the option to extend for another season.

The impression, however, is that the "old guard" will lose more players: Raffaele Pucino (who recently signed a new contract until 2026 and is eager to make his mark on the pitch, even in training camp) is Casarano's interest, while Francesco Vicari's departure remains likely (the Roman centre-back is coming off a disappointing season that is prompting him to reconsider his position). Ahmad Benali's permanence also appears uncertain, although the 32-year-old Libyan is currently the least likely to leave. Nicola Bellomo, however, will remain, having just signed a contract extension until 2026 on his contract, which expired on June 30th. The Borgo Antico playmaker will be one of two "flagship" players eligible for Serie B: the other currently eligible for that status would be Pucino, if he stays. However, Nunzio Lella would also meet the requirements of a "flagship" player: the return of the 25-year-old midfielder, who returned to Venezia, remains a real possibility.

Given such a radical transformation, there remains a significant number of players to acquire. The most significant signing concerns the attack: discussions with Christian Gytkjaer, the 35-year-old Dane released after stints with Monza and Venezia, are ongoing and could yield results within the next few hours. Discussions are underway regarding a one-year agreement with an option to extend: the striker's salary would be significant, so the parties are still working to bridge the gap between supply and demand. However, the deal could be finalized soon: if the outcome is favorable, the striker is said to be ready to arrive in the city as early as today.

In the attacking lineup, negotiations continue for attacking wingers Mirko Antonucci (26, from Spezia) and Filippo Distefano (22, from Fiorentina), while another young center forward will also be signed: Daniele Montevago (22, from Perugia) and Guglielmo Mignani (22, from Pianese) are particularly in contention. The signing of 19-year-old winger Emanuele Rao, currently signed by Napoli, who will loan him to the Galletti, is virtually complete.

The midfield needs to be rebuilt: 27-year-old Belgian playmaker Matthias Verreth, released from Brescia, will arrive by the weekend (a deal that has already been completed, along with the official ones for goalkeeper Matteo Cerofolini, right-back Lorenzo Dickman, centre-forward Gabriele Moncini, and midfielder Riccardo Pagano), but at least three top-quality central midfielders will be needed. A concrete target is Liam Henderson: the 29-year-old Scot excelled in the Biancorossi in 2018, making 18 appearances and scoring two goals, and is now a free agent after stints with Verona, Empoli, Lecce, and Palermo. He's not short of offers: currently, his asking price for a two-year contract seems rather steep, but sporting directors Giuseppe Magalini and Valerio Di Cesare are determined to make a move. Also being monitored are Francesco Gelli, the 28-year-old who returned to Frosinone from his loan spell at Cremonese, and Finnish player Niklas Pyythia, a 21-year-old Bologna player who has already competed in Serie B with Ternana and Sudtirol. Leonardo Benedetti, a 25-year-old Sampdoria player who played for the Biancorossi in 2022-23, the season that ended with a shock defeat in the playoff final against Cagliari, is also being closely monitored.

The defense is currently also thin. The new loan of Nosa Obaretin from Napoli is expected to be finalized soon: he has clearly beaten off competition from Empoli for the 22-year-old, who could be used as a full-back or left-back. The acquisition of 20-year-old Sheriff Kassama was finalized yesterday: he will arrive from Trento on a loan with an option to buy his full contract. Negotiations with Palermo for 27-year-old Dimitris Nikolaou continue, while full-backs Tommaso Cassandro (25, from Como) and Giacomo Quagliata (25, from Cremonese, who previously played for Bari in 2018-19) are also being sought.

THE CALENDAR Finally, the date on which the Serie B calendar will be born has been revealed, which will be presented on Wednesday 30 July at 7 pm in the evocative setting of Palazzo Te in Mantua: the event will be broadcast live on the Lega di B channels.