Regarding the club's summer market moves, the first signing already came in January as promising midfielder Nicolas Viola had immediately agreed a contract with the Rosanero but stayed on loan at Reggina for the remainder of the season.

[8] On 6 July 2012, Palermo confirmed to have reached an agreement for the transfer of Argentine defender Matías Silvestre on loan to Internazionale, with an option for the club to make the acquisition permanent by the end of the season.

[17] Later on 20 August, Palermo formalized and announced a deal that brought Swiss international Steve von Bergen in Sicily, in exchange for Alexandros Tzorvas (permanent) and youth team forward Daniel Jara Martínez (on loan).

These results led chairman Maurizio Zamparini to state he was "afraid of relegation", and persuaded him to remove Sannino from his coaching duties on 16 September 2012, and replace him with former Genoa and Inter boss Gian Piero Gasperini.

In the following game, Palermo trashed Chievo 4–1 at home thanks to a hat-trick from captain Fabrizio Miccoli (including a nationally praised volley goal from 45 metres), finally winning its first three points of the season.

As previously suggested by both chairman Zamparini and general manager Lo Monaco, who publicly announced their intention to sign at least one striker, a left back/left winger and a defender, Palermo decided to actively change the roster in the winter transfer window.

[23] Days later, Palermo also announced the loan signing of Andrea Dossena from Napoli in an attempt to replace a vacancy created already in the summer by the departure of Federico Balzaretti to Roma.

[25] This was preceded by a number of departures: Carlos Labrín left to move back to Huachipato and Eran Zahavi returned to his previous Israeli club, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Sorrentino promptly provided a man-of-the-match debut in a 1–1 draw at Cagliari, with Palermo suffering an injury-time equalizer to prevent the Rosanero from winning their first away game of the season.

The next day, on 28 January, Lo Monaco completed two more moves for Palermo, signing centre forward Mauro Boselli (on loan from Wigan Athletic)[27] and right back/right winger Nélson from Real Betis.