ANALYSIS Osimhen's Napoli, Mourinho's Roma and the Milanistas: How are Serie A's big guns dealing with the transfer market?

Jose Mourinho has had to make do with bargain deals in the summer window while Napoli have been quiet, and both Milan clubs have made a splash. How are Roma and the challenging Serie A contingent looking with September 1 a month away?

The summer transfer window has just over four weeks to run, but now would be a good time to check on Serie A’s top sides.

Serie A’s top guns in 2022-23: A summary

Jose Mourinho prioritised Europa League success with Roma at the backend of last season after deeming his squad incapable of competing for a Champions League berth and challenging on the continent.

This ultimately resulted in disappointment, with the Giallorossi ending the campaign outside the coveted continental spots and suffering defeat at the hands of Sevilla in the Europa League. It was Mourinho’s first-ever defeat in a European final.

Defending Serie A champions, Napoli bade farewell to Luciano Spalletti and welcomed Rudi Garcia to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, but have they hitherto built from a position of strength since ending a 33-year wait for the Scudetto?

Beaten Champions League finalists Inter Milan have been forced to sell several starters from that loss over Manchester City, possibly leaving Simone Inzaghi to prove himself for the umpteenth time since moving to the Nerazzurri in 2021.

Their Lombardy rivals AC Milan could not mount a sustained defence of their Scudetto crown, with their wretched form at the start of 2023 seeing Stefano Pioli’s troops surrender far too early. The Rossoneri recovered from a five-game winless run (three losses) at the turn of the year and three wins in their opening 11 league games (five defeats) of the New Year to squeak through at Atalanta’s expense.

How about Juventus, Lazio and Atalanta? The Old Lady have been excluded from next season’s Europa Conference League after UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) ruled that the Bianconeri flouted financial regulations.

A 10-point domestic deduction was meted out to the Turin club in May for their capital gains scandal, putting paid to Massimiliano Allegri’s men’s prospects of making the imminent campaign’s Champions League.

The upshot of the verdict means Juventus will not compete in Europe in 2023-24, with their spot going to last season’s Conference League runners-up, Fiorentina.

As for Lazio, a second-place finish in the previous campaign was commendable, even if Sarri took umbrage at his players for meekly surrendering against both Milan clubs at the backend of last season.

Gian Piero Gasperini could not work wonders this time with Atalanta, despite La Dea’s absence from Europe last season.

The Bergamaschi were in the fascinating top-four race for much of 2022-23, but three defeats in their last five — including losses against Juventus and Inter — saw them end six points shy of fourth-placed Milan. 

An undoubted improvement on the previous season’s eighth place, although they rued the missed opportunity to return to Europe’s premier club competition.

Having taken stock of last season’s outcomes, how are the clubs beefing up their squads for the commencement of the 23-24 season?

Why have Napoli been muted?

It has been a summer of change in Naples with outgoings. Luciano Spalletti departed after guiding the club to its first Scudetto in 33 years. Cristiano Giuntoli — the mastermind behind the acquisitions that delivered the title — left his sporting director role for a similar position at Juventus.

On the players’ front, the loss of Min-jae Kim to Bayern Munich a year after joining the Partenopei stung, and Napoli are yet to replace the South Korean. A bid for Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Max Kilman was rejected in early July.

A cursory look at incomings shows three arrivals — Giacomo Raspadori, Giovanni Simeone and Elia Caprile — but a closer assessment paints a different picture. Raspadori and Simeone were on loan at the Maradona in 22-23, and both are returning to the club permanently, with the Italy international acquired as part of an obligation in last year’s deal and Argentinean returning after Napoli exercised their option to buy.

However, the Partenopei have not strengthened, with Caprile — a goalkeeper signed from Bari — the club’s only new face.

They appear short to mount an extended title defence, even if they seem likely to hold onto last year’s superstars — Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Napoli’s asking price for Osimhen may scare off admirers, and the latest reports indicate an extension may be in the offing. 

There has been no sustained interest in ‘Kvaradona’, although a big-money bid from Newcastle United was rumoured recently.

Is Rudi Garcia already fighting a losing battle in Naples to successfully defend the Scudetto and go farther in the Champions League?

How badly would Lazio miss Sergej Milinkovic-Savic?

Only Ciro Immobile (12) and Mattia Zaccagni (10) found the back of the net more times than Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (9) in the league for Lazio last season, precipitating questions about the 28-year-old’s sale to Al-Hilal.

However, with Serie A clubs inclined to cash in on saleable assets before reinvesting in their squads, Milinkovic-Savic’s sale was reasonable. The Serbian also had 12 months to run on his Lazio contract and was unwilling to agree to a renewal in the capital, further underlining the importance of this summer’s sale.

The Biancocelesti have reinvested in the team, with Valentin Castellanos, Matteo Cancellieri and Diego Gonzalez acquired.

Castellanos arrives from New York City FC to compete with and deputise for Immobile, who missed several games through injury last season. The Argentinian scored four times against Real Madrid in LaLiga last season to become the first player to hit Los Blancos for four since December 1947. Castellanos found the back of the net 13 times during his year-long loan at Girona.

The jury is still out on Cancellieri and Gonzalez. The former’s two Serie A starts in 2021-22 and last season portrays a green player, while Gonzalez’s six-month loan was made official despite the wide attacker not featuring for the senior team.

Lazio have a positive net spend so far, but there is a feeling the club are ill-equipped to compete domestically and in the Champions League with the squad in its current state.

Inter’s summer of upheaval

Simone Inzaghi was appointed at Inter in 2021 because Antonio Conte was irate at the club for selling Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea and Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain.

Two years later, the Nerazzurri have lost vital components of their squad again. Andre Onana, Marcelo Brozovic and Edin Dzeko — three starters in June’s Champions League final defeat by Manchester City — have departed, with Onana and Brozovic accounting for two of Inter’s highest sales this summer.

Dzeko left for Fenerbahce on a free transfer, as have Milan Skriniar and former club captain Samir Handanovic. Lukaku is unlikely to return to San Siro, having burned bridges at the club, while Sassuolo’s obligation to buy Andrea Pinamonti was common knowledge.

Inter’s precarious financial situation means the Nerazzurri must be astute in the summer window. Thus, the arrival of Marcus Thuram and Juan Cuadrado on free transfers is far from surprising. Davide Frattesi’s loan from Sassuolo comes with an obligation to buy next year.

The club made a breakthrough in negotiations for Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic and the 21-year-old could move to San Siro imminently.

Despite his low-cost outlay, Yann Aurel Bisseck is expected to play a pivotal role in defence for Inzaghi’s troops, who also brought Francesco Acerbi and Kristjan Asllani to the club on inexpensive deals after last season’s loans from Lazio and Empoli, respectively.

Loan returnees like Stefano Sensi (Monza) and Lucien Agoume (Troyes) could be integrated into the squad. The latter was involved in Troyes’ unsuccessful battle for Ligue 1 survival, but his statistical profile underlines his potential.

According to Fbref, Agoume ranks in the 90th percentile for progressive passes, 96th percentile for tackles made and 99th percentile for interceptions per 90 compared to midfielders. This demonstrates the 21-year-old’s budding talent, so it remains to be seen what Inter decide this summer.

Inter have been linked with a move for Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun, but the club’s finances and broader instability could scupper that transfer.

Are Milan Serie A favourites?

Depending on who is believed, Sandro Tonali never wanted out of Milan. However, the boyhood Milanisti’s departure has effectively funded the club’s recruitment drive.

Seven players have arrived, but five acquisitions have especially caught the eye. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have been signed from Chelsea, the talented Tijjani Reijnders was bought from AZ Alkmaar, ex-RB Salzburg star Noah Okafor provides cover and another option at centre-forward instead of Olivier Giroud, and Samuel Chukwueze completed his transfer from Villarreal last week.

They are far from done, with a €20 million deal with Valencia and USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah nearing completion.

The upshot of the Rossoneri’s business so far underlines the club’s desire to be less reliant on Rafael Leao, a flaw that undermined the club’s ambition to claim an eighth European Cup last term.

With Ante Rebic’s Besiktas transfer almost done, Brahim Diaz back at Real Madrid after a three-year loan spell in Milan, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired, the Rossoneri look in better shape than they were last season. If this group coalesces, AC Milan could well be favourites to reclaim the Scudetto in 10 months.

How should Atalanta spend the Hojlund money?

So much attention has been placed on Hojlund’s imminent move to Manchester United that the club’s business has gone under the radar.

No less than four players — Jeremie Boga, Matteo Pessina, Ruslan Malinovskyi and Sam Lammers have been traded, with goalkeeper Marco Sportiello departing on a free to join Milan.

The two major incomings so far are El Bilal Toure — who scored seven times in 15 starts for Almeria in LaLiga last season — and left-back Mitchel Bakker, while they have been joined by Saed Kolasinac and Michel Adopo, whose contracts at Marseille and Torino ran out.

With La Dea back in Europe after a year away, Gian Piero Gasperini needs the squad depth to navigate the Europa League and Serie A. And Hojlund's sale could help to beef up a squad that can be prone to the most inexplicable injuries.

Why are Jose Mourinho’s Roma penny-pinching?

Mourinho’s future in Rome was uncertain until the Portuguese manager committed to the club for another season, but could the 2022 Conference League winner be having second thoughts?

Despite backing the Giallorossi boss in his first season in charge, year two saw the Friedkin Group rein in on the spending. Year three has taken the club’s austere direction to new levels.

Roma have signed three new players — Evan Ndicka, Houssem Aouar and Rasmus Kristensen — but two have been without transfer expenditure, and Kristensen arrived on loan from Leeds United. They are reportedly interested in West Ham United’s Gianluca Scamacca to add firepower up top with Tammy Abraham sidelined. Whether that deal goes through is anyone’s guess.

As for outgoings, Justin Kluivert, Cristian Volpato, Benjamin Tahirovic and Carles Perez have been traded to bring in money to aid the club’s finances.

As it is, Mourinho might be faced with the possibility of prioritising Europa League success over finishing in the Champions League spots again if Roma cannot compete on both fronts.

Indeed, failure against Sevilla on penalties in the continent’s secondary club competition must still rankle at the Olimpico.

Juventus are playing catch-up

Juventus are the one club that should be busy but have hitherto been relatively quiet.

A look at their incomings and outgoings could present a different perception, but a closer examination highlights the Old Lady’s minimal activity.

Of Juventus’ four signings, only Timothy Weah was not at the club last term. Manuel Locatelli, Moise Kean and Arkadiusz Milik have moved to the Turin club after loan spells with the club — Allegri’s team had obligations to buy Locatelli and Kean but Milik’s only came with an option to make the deal permanent.

Be that as it may, the futures of several loan returnees like Denis Zakaria and Weston McKennie are up in the air. Fortunately, Arthur Melo has been loaned to Fiorentina for the 2023-24 season.

As for permanent departures, Angel Di Maria left Juventus after a troubled year in Italy, while Cuadrado left to join Inter after the expiration of his contract at the Juventus Stadium.

The undoubted elephant in the room is the future of Dusan Vlahovic, who could depart the club after one season. Lukaku has been mooted as a potential replacement, but the Bianconeri are rumoured to be after a loan deal, whereas Chelsea’s preference is an outright sale.

It all seems convoluted, but when is it never with the Old Lady?

Napoli’s restraint has been surprising, with many already predicting the title to change hands for the fourth consecutive season. Unless Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia avoid injuries and over-perform, a fourth Scudetto may not be on the cards for the Partenopei.

Milan ostensibly looks in the best shape among next season’s Serie A contenders; however, a lot could change in four weeks and a bit.