Vincenzo Grifo repaid Roberto Mancini’s trust with a wonderful performance in Italy’s friendly win over Albania and he could’ve made the jump to Serie A earlier this year.
The 29-year-old Italian winger has spent his entire playing career in Germany, the country of his birth, playing for clubs like Freiburg, Hoffenheim and FSV Frankfurt. He was given his first Italy call up by Mancini back in November 2018 and has since made seven appearances for the Azzurri, scoring four goals and providing three assists.
As reported by TMW, Grifo had the opportunity to ply his trade in Serie A back in January of this year, when Sampdoria was seriously interested in picking him up from Freiburg. 2006 World Cup winner Cristian Zaccardo was acting as an intermediary and a deal ultimately collapsed at the final stages.
Grifo is a key part of the Freiburg squad but could still make the move to Italy in the coming years.