Davide Santon to Cesena: A Good Short Term Move?

February 2nd, 2011 | by: Julian | Comments Off

Davide Santon burst onto the scene for Inter in the 2008-2009 season, and it seemed as if he was destined for dizzying heights. Then, knee injury struck the following season and he was never quite fully re-installed back into the starting XI. This season he hasn’t played with Inter as consistently as any party would’ve liked and he’s been shipped off to Cesena for some maturing. But is that a good move?When he first burst onto the scene, it seemed like Santon could become the next big thing- more than one source compared him to legendary Paolo Maldini (including himself). Cristiano Ronaldo, so hard to impress, himself praised the youngster after Manchester United’s Champions’ League ti against Inter, stating:

I was impressed by Santon; he is a really interesting lad and a great footballer

But then, much like Kanye said, no one [young] man should have all that power [so early in his career]. He was unable to shake a pesky knee meniscus injury and hasn’t really seemed to be the same self assured, composed defender since. It’s entirely possible he could return to form, but to do so he needs consistent playing time. Inter, in the hunt for points after a poor start to the season, cannot risk playing Santon. His rustiness has already cost the club in an iffy goal against Palermo.

A loan spell for the player seems like a perfect solution. Santon gets the playing time he needs (presumably Cesena brought him in to play him) and he gets to return to match fitness and form. Inter have a youngster develop and can put him back in the fold once he returns. And Prandelli will actually get to use the player if he’s playing consistently.

All sides may benefit then, but the underlying assumption is that Santon will return to his pre-injury form. The real question is- can he?

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