A look at the list of transfers signed in the Italian Serie A leaves the opponents of champions Juventus scratching their heads as two weeks remain until the end of the summer market.
The Turin squad this weekend open the chase of a sixth consecutive domestic title with a lineup that looks stronger than those which won the past five scudetti.
Juve saw Spanish striker Alvaro Morata return home to Real Madrid for 30 million euros (33.8 million dollars), but snatched Argentina’s Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli after he set an all-time scoring record of 36 goals last season.
Higuain’s transfer fee of 90 million euros - a record for the Italian league - was widely offset by the sale of French midfielder Paul Pogba to Manchester United for 110 million euros, the highest ever transfer fee in football.
Coach Massimiliano Allegri, however, is unlikely to miss the French ace, having welcomed Bosnia’s Miralem Pjanic for 32 million euros from Roma, who are one of Juve’s top competitors alongside Napoli.
Pjanic, a less flamboyant, but possibly more effective play-maker than Pogba, looks set to take the role filled until 2015 by star Andrea Pirlo.
“Miralem is a top player and I believe he can become one of the world’s best in that position just in front of the defence,” Allegri said. “He just has to learn to play the kind of passes that are more typical for that area on the field.”
A target for Pjainc’s assists will be Marko Pjaca, a promising winger signed for 23 millions euros from his home town club Dinamo Zagreb.
As Juve also seek a good showing in the Champions League, Allegri expects a further arrival in midfield, as Juan Cuadrado ended a loan from Chelsea and the injured Claudio Marchisio will be back possibly in November.
Aging can be an issue for the Bianconeri’s defence manned by star goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon plus aces Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Patrice Evra.
But support came with arrival of Dani Alves as a free agent from Barcelona and Mehdi Benatia, on loan from Bayern Munich.
Last season’s second-placed Napoli were bitter after Higuain’s departure and were still shopping for a high-level striker in the market that closes on August 31, 10 days after the league’s opening round.
Winger Emanuele Giaccherini signed from Sunderland and Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik arrived in Naples from Ajax at 32 million euros for a solid upfront outfit alongside Manolo Gabbiadini.
Roma, who placed third with 41 goals conceded, against Juve’s 20, welcomed defenders Juan Jesus (Inter), Federico Fazio (Tottenham), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona) and Mario Rui (Empoli).In midfield they signed Bruno Peres from Torino, Gerson from Fluminense and Leandro Paredes from Empoli.
Troubled giants Inter and AC Milan, meanwhile, underwent changes of ownership and coach, both now being controlled by Chinese investors.
Inter moved smoothly under retail giant Suning Commerce Group, while Sino-Europe Sports Investment Management Changxin are to acquire the Devils by November.
Frank de Boer replaced coach Roberto Mancini last week after Inter signed midfielders Ever Banega, an Argentine international from Sevilla, and Antonio Candreva from Lazio.
De Boer, who set one of the three Champions League places as the Nerazzurri’s goal, doubted the expected dominance of Juve.
“We must understand how they play in midfield,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday. “It is not so certain that they are stronger than last year. They do have big names, but we do not know yet if they will get to be a team.”
Vincenzo Montella, who left Fiorentina for Milan, has been at his new team since July, fitting striker Gianluca Lapadula, last season’s Serie B top striker at Pescara, plus defenders Leonel Vangioni and Gustavo Gomez in a squad that finished seventh in May.
AC Milan were limited in their purchasing power with only the budget left by Silvio Berlusconi, who sold the club as new owners Sino-Europe Sports’ financial support is not yet in.