Serie A 2021 Summer Transfer Window: Winners and Losers
The 2021 summer transfer window brought around a lot of surprises, ones that none could have foreseen. Serie A in particular was arguably the most active of the top five European leagues in the transfer market, followed closely by the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga. Some of club football’s most high-profile transfers involved Italian teams, once again establishing the prominence of Azzurri clubs.
Photo by Liam McKay on Unsplash
Here we look at Italy’s most distinguished teams, based on their transfer market credentials (profitable sales and arrivals), which will undoubtedly be instrumental in their final standings come May 2022.
Inter
Departures – Romelu Lukaku (+€115m), Achraf Hakimi (+€60m), Matteo Politano (+€19m), Antonio Candreva (+€2.5m), Rigoberto Rivas (+€550,000)
Arrivals – Zinho Vanheusden (-€16m), Denzel Dumfries (-€12.5m), Joaquin Correa (-€5m, in loan fees), Matteo Darmian (-€2.5m), Hakan Calhanoglu (free), Edin Dzeko (free)
Current transfer record: +€161m
Having lost Serie A’s most in-form striker and arguably the best right wingback in the world, in Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi, and also Italian tactician Antonio Conte, one could have predicted Inter to fall behind in the Serie A table. However, they remain lethal and are one of the teams to beat this season. According to The Guardian, Simone Inzaghi is a perfect choice to blow memories of Conte away and serve up evolution for the Nerazzurri.
VERDICT: Winners
Juventus
Departures – Cristian Romero (+€16m), Cristiano Ronaldo (+€15m), Merih Demiral (€3m), Gianluigi Buffon (free)
Arrivals – Weston McKennie (-€20.5m), Moise Kean (-€7m, in loan fees), Mohammed Ihattaren (-€1.9m), Kaio Jorge (-€1.5m), Manuel Locatelli (loan)
Current transfer record: +€3.1m
Despite having the highest total market value of all clubs in the league – around the €650m region - Juventus have endured a disappointing start to the campaign. However, that was somewhat expected due to the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring prowess. They have started registering decent results but still have a long way to go from reaching the well-shaped outfit that Massimiliano Allegri’s teams are known for.
VERDICT: Losers
Napoli
Departures – Arkadiusz Milik (+€9m), Sebastiano Luperto (+€500,000, in loan fees), Elseid Hysaj (free)
Arrivals – Matteo Politano (-€19m), Andre Anguissa (-€600,000, in loan fees), Juan Jesus (free), David Marfello (free)
Current transfer record: -€10.10m
Arguably the most surprising team of the season so far, Napoli have been fantastic on all fronts, including the UEFA Europa League. The Partenopei experienced a very quiet transfer market and as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Luciano Spalletti deserves credit for making the team competitive even without reinforcements. The roster of players at hand is reportedly worth at least €100m more, with their cumulative values jumping from €380m to around the €500m mark in the space of 2- 3 months.
VERDICT: Winners
Milan
Departures – Diego Laxalt (+€3.5m)
Arrivals – Fikayo Tomori (-€29.2m), Mike Maignan (-€13m), Yacine Adli (-€8m), Oliver Giroud (-€1m), Sandro Tonali (-€6.9m), Fode Ballo-Toure (-€5m), Brahim Diaz (-€3m, in loan fees), Junior Messias (-€2.6m, in loan fees), Tiemoue Bakoyoko (-€2.6m, in loan fees), Alessandro Florenzi (-€1m, in loan fees), Pietro Pellegri (- €1m, in loan fees)
Current transfer record: -€69.2m
The Rossoneri have lost Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu – two instrumental players who thought they would have a hard time without. But just like Inter, Milan has dealt extremely well so far with the pressure to better their 2020/21 performances. They also have lost a significant chunk of revenue but have succeeded in luring in some priceless transfers. Il Diavolo might just offset their financial losses by winning their first Scudetto in over a decade
VERDICT: Winners
Roma
Departures – Alessandro Florenzi (+€1m), Pau Lopez (+€720,000, in loan fees), Cengiz Under (€500,000, in loan fees), Edin Dzeko (free)
Arrivals – Tammy Abraham (-€40m), Eldor Shomurodov (-€17.5m), Matias Vina (- €13m), Rui Patricio (-€11.5m), Roger Ibanez (-€9m), Bryan Reynolds (€6.8m)
Current transfer record: -€95.5m
Roma hit jackpot with Jose Mourinho, in arguably the managerial move of the transfer season. They also did well with the transfers of Tammy Abarham and Rui Patricio, but however lost Dzeko, Under, Pedro, Lopez, and Florenzi in the process – five important players in their own right. It’s safe to say that the Giallorossi can be a threat to most teams in the league after having to deal with a transfer market marked by their own financial distress.
VERDICT: Losers
According to statistics provided by bookmakers through Asiabet.org, Inter are top odds-on favourites to retain the Scudetto title, ahead of Napoli, Milan and Juventus, whereas Jose Mourinho’s Roma fall in the bottom half of betting contention. Just like Serie A, other leagues and even other sports can be accessed, allowing oneself to acquire first-hand knowledge, tips, and guidance regarding various topics on betting and sportsbooks in general. First time and regular users can experience rewards and bonuses such as loyalty points, cashback, free bets, and instant payouts.
One thing is for sure, the 2021/22 Serie A title will be played out until the final match weeks and the initial half of the season is just a trailer for what can be expected in the latter half.