Five Serie A summer transfers that went under the radar
By jc
Which new players will have the biggest impact on the Serie A season?
The Serie A transfer window closed on September 2. The final day was an active one, as some deals trickled in at the last minute. Serie A’s teams now proceed with the first half of the season with their current squads.
Inter Milan, Juventus, and Napoli were the summer’s biggest spenders. Each club brought in big-name players to solidify their respective paths to the Scudetto.
Inter Milan spent over $150 million on incoming transfers. Romelu Lukaku joined from Manchester United for a reported $90 million fee. Lukaku fortifies an Inter squad that struggled to find consistent goal scoring last season. In addition to Lukaku, Inter acquired Nicolò Barella, Cristiano Biraghi, and Alexis Sanchez on loan deals with options to buy.
Juventus added new players for the run to a ninth straight Serie A title. Matthjis de Ligt was Juve’s most expensive incoming transfer. The 19-year-old de Ligt, who cost around $95 million, is one of Europe’s best young defenders. Danilo also joined Juventus from Manchester City in a swap deal for João Cancelo.
Napoli had one of its most active summers in club history. Kostas Manolas joined Napoli from Roma for close to $40 million. Manolas partners with Kalidou Koulibaly to strengthen Napoli’s defense. Napoli also acquired Hirving Lozano from PSV Eindhoven for $56 million.
Serie A’s mid-level squads brought in new players to improve their rosters as well. AC Milan added Rafael Leão and Franck Kessié, and Roma added goalkeeper Pau López. Fiorentina also made a splash with Franck Ribéry.
A number of moves didn’t make headlines this summer, but they will nevertheless impact the 2019-2020 Serie A final standings.