Roma

Gladiators for cheap

Roma has dropped to 6th in Serie A. The only reason they’re on this list is because I love Rome and wish for them to move back up the standings (they did come in 2nd just a year ago, and only dropped out of the CL to Arsenal on penalties).
That’s it. How? Is hard to say when one of your favorite teams always sells its best players to Inter. Chivu, Mancini, etc., etc., etc. What’s frustrating is that this is a talented club, but depend a lot on Totti and he’s become injury prone.
As it stands:
Vučinić --- Baptista
Totti
Aquilani – De Rossi – ???
Riise --- Mexes -- Juan -- Cicinho

On defense go get Andrea Esposito from Lecce to replace an aging and less effective Juan. See if you can pry De Silvestri from arch-rival Lazio to move off Cicinho.
In midfield they need a winger of some sort to send in crosses. Aquilani & De Rossi are best served as a great central midfield pairing, so spending a little extra on a youngster like Balázs Dzsudzsák (Hungary) of PSV Eindhoven would be worth their while, unless Stijn Schaars wants to come over from AZ instead – which isn’t likely considering Bayern have been rumored to want him, and he might want to follow his old coach.
That leaves the strike force: Totti playing in a central role just off the strikers, and the notion to go after an aging but effective forward like Toni, who Munich no longer really need. This is how Roma typically do it – which is why I know they won’t go after De Silvestri – by buying players that major teams don’t want on their squads anymore. Unfortunately they still can’t afford Real Madrid’s more expensive rejects, and so the options are more limited. They could pursue Royston Drenthe, though, and make him a left winger, since he’ll never play defense anyways, instead of the Dutch league options. With that they add to their youth, and purchase someone they can actually afford.
Really they should also then buy Freddie Adu. Marketing tools are useful, and he’s moved from the U.S. to Portugal to France. Why not Italy next? He’s ready to perform in an attacking role, he’s creative, he’s young, and Rome is a great city. He’s also cheap, and could learn a lot from Totti and be a right wing.
So we’re left with this 4-3-3:

Vučinić --- Totti --- Adu
Drenthe --- De Rossi – Aquilani
Riise --- Mexes --- Esposito -- Cicinho
Doni

Bench: Panucci, Juan, Motta (unless they sell Mexes, then start him), Pizarro, Baptista, Brighi, Menez

In: Adu, Drenthe, Esposito for about €20m
Out: Mexes or Juan, Perrotta or Taddei. Make back about €10m.
Total: €10m (unless they pull something crazy and buy Michael Owen on the cheap – but they won’t pay his salary demands)