As Serie A prepares to kick off a new campaign, attention in Italy has been somewhat diverted by a remarkable summer of sporting success outside football. Kimi Antonelli became the first Italian to win a Formula One race in two decades, extending his championship lead with victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. Jannik Sinner defended his Wimbledon men's singles title, while Italy topped the medal table at the European Athletics Championships and finished second in swimming's European Aquatics Championships. Manila Esposito added gymnastics gold in the floor exercise. Against that backdrop, the usual transfer chatter has taken a back seat heading into the new season.
This summer's transfer activity has been relatively modest by Serie A standards. Como's decision to pay €60m to bring back Nico Paz stands out as one of the more curious deals — Real Madrid triggered their buy-back clause in June before immediately selling him on, with a fresh buy-back option attached, effectively extending his loan spell in elaborate fashion. Milan, meanwhile, spent a club-record €74m on Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain, a striking outlay for a player who hasn't been a regular starter for three seasons. Despite limited game time in France, Ramos posted one of the best goals-to-minutes ratios among under-25 players in Europe's top five leagues over the past three years, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. New Milan boss Ruben Amorim, looking to rebuild his reputation following a difficult spell at Manchester United, believes Ramos's ability to unpick low defensive blocks will prove valuable.
The familiar managerial carousel — Italy's so-called "waltz of the benches" — has once again reshuffled several dugouts. Massimiliano Allegri has swapped Milan for Napoli, while Maurizio Sarri departed Lazio for Atalanta, with Gennaro Gattuso taking over in Rome after failing to steer Italy to World Cup qualification. Allegri, whose history with Napoli includes painful memories from both playing and coaching stints, addressed the irony of his return by saying, "That's why I'm here, to repay things."
Despite finishing as runners-up last season, Napoli have made few changes to a squad that already fielded the oldest average starting lineup in Serie A, with hopes largely resting on Kevin De Bruyne's return to full fitness.
Inter Milan, however, remain the team to beat. Under Cristian Chivu in his debut season in charge, the Nerazzurri finished 11 points clear at the top and appear poised to become the first side this decade to successfully defend the Scudetto. The club lost right wing-back Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid but has brought in Djed Spence as a replacement, while veteran defenders Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij departed, with Benjamin Pavard and John Stones added to shore up the backline. Inter are also pursuing Liverpool's Curtis Jones to bolster midfield depth. Their attacking options — including Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny — remain arguably the strongest in the division.
Elsewhere, Roma will look to build on progress under Gian Piero Gasperini, having added forward Santiago Castro, while also balancing Champions League commitments. Como, who finished fourth last season, strengthened their defense with Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea and retained a young core in Martin Baturina, Máximo Perrone and Lucas Da Cunha. Juventus, often overlooked this off-season, have added Randal Kolo Muani on a permanent deal after a productive loan spell, along with defender Jhon Lucumí from Bologna and promising teenagers Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeff Ekhator.
Further down the table, storylines abound: Fiorentina have invested more than €100m under new manager Fabio Grosso, Genoa's Daniele De Rossi aims to build on an encouraging start, and newly promoted sides Venezia, Monza and Frosinone will fight to secure their top-flight status. Lecce, who survived by the skin of their teeth last term, again look vulnerable to a relegation battle.
With Inter looking to make history and a host of new managers eager to make their mark, Serie A's new season promises intrigue even if it can't quite match Italy's golden summer in other sports.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.