"I have not spoken to the new coach, we are both waiting for it to become official. I have had a good season, possibly the best of my career. I was told that Inter, another great club, were also interested in me but I understand that Juventus have done enough to get me." - Gaetano D'Agostino, June 4 2009

At the time he uttered those words from the serenity of the Italian national team's base at Coverciano, they were nothing but the truth. In a rare moment of clarity Juve's then Sporting Director Alessio Secco, along with Ciro Ferrara, had identified the player as the final piece of a well-constructed team. With two players brought in at fullback and an excellent trequartista in Brazilian star Diego, Secco had built a squad more than capable of playing the new coach's preferred 4-3-1-2 system.

D'Agostino himself had enjoyed a fine season, scoring eleven goals in 34 league appearances for Udinese. He had also racked up eleven assists, meaning he was involved in scoring or creating two goals every three games he played a part in. With Pavel Nedved set to retire, the Sicilian born regista would have provided the perfect link between midfield and attack for the new-look Bianconeri.

For what seemed like months, Juventus followers heard that the main target in the transfer market was indeed D'Agostino, who revealed that playing for la vecchia Signora had always been his childhood dream.

Then came the first bombshell as the move collapsed, Secco unwilling to pay the price demanded by the Friuli club. Juventus eventually signed an entirely different midfielder in Felipe Melo, with Secco resuming normal service by paying more than the price Udinese were demanding for a player Ferrara did not really need. It is no great leap of faith to see that decision as where the 2009-10 season fell apart for Juve, the consequences of which were huge for all involved.

Yet the prospect of a huge move was not over for D'Agostino, who's form the previous season ('08-'09) had him in serious contention to be part of Marcello Lippi's squad for the Confederations Cup later that same summer. Jorge Valdano was next in line as he looked for a play-maker to bring to Real Madrid, and Udinese President Giampaolo Pozzo confirmed the interest as he spoke to Sportsmediaset that same month;

"There are negotiations in place and we will see if there are further details and other meetings soon. In any case, the price will not change. He costs €25 million for Real Madrid, just like it was for Juventus."

That prospect quickly fell through however, as Real shifted focus to Liverpool's Xabi Alonso and - having also been cut from Lippi's final 23 man selection for South Africa - D'Agostino found himself with nowhere to go and thus remained in Udine. His form suffered badly as the player himself grew frustrated after having his dream shattered.

He would make just 22 appearances, scoring only one goal - along with a single assist - as Udinese slumped from the previous years seventh place to end the season a lowly fifteenth. It would get worse for the player, suffering a knee injury in an early February game against Napoli. Subsequent surgery would cut short his season and he would not make any further appearances.

Once recovered D'Agostino finally did secure a transfer, to a Fiorentina side who's own form had mirrored that of Udinese, only falling from an even greater height. They went from a wonderful Champions League campaign that included famous home and away wins over Liverpool, to missing out on Europe altogether. The manner of their elimination by Bayern Munich weighed heavily on Cesare Prandelli's young but gifted squad.

The Viola paid a mere €4.5m to take him in co-ownership, but his form only slightly improved. He would make only twelve starts, with a further eight appearances as a substitute and completed 90 minutes on a worryingly low six occasions. He scored five goals while adding just one assist and his passing was uncharacteristically poor, completing 638 of 807 attempts, recording a relatively meager 79% success rate.

As the season ended, the co-ownership deadline came and went with neither club making an offer for the others share and, with less than two years on his contract, the agreement went to a blind auction. There the figures bid by each party speaks volumes for just how low his stock has fallen; Udinese's 111,000€ offer comfortably beating Fiorentina's 50,000€.

His problems would not end there either as he was clearly surplus to requirements with the Zebrette who, under Francesco Guidolin have become a fast-paced counter-attacking unit, a style to which the former Roma man is wholly unsuited. He was left off the list of players called to pre-season training last week and the club were clearly open to offers.

The two hugely disappointing seasons meant a vastly different array of clubs were willing to sign the player and he eventually moved to recently promoted Siena, again on a co-ownership deal that cost the Tuscan side €2.5m.

Now 29, he needs a good season with the Robur if he is not to fade completely into obscurity. Somewhere, behind the broken dreams and mental fragility is the gifted, offensive minded classic play-maker we last saw two years ago. He is technically excellent, particularly from set-piece situations and has a range and accuracy to his passing that few can match.

Gaetano D'Agostino had a dream, let us hope he does not continue to wallow in the valley of despair.