Nothing much has changed in the current Serie A landscape, as Inter Milan and Juventus are still on top of the pile and are seemingly pulling away.
And because the recently concluded transfer window was one of the most silent ones that we’ve had in recent memory, the updated Serie A 2024 odds predict that this season’s Scudetto will continue to be a two-way race.
With Inter Milan and Juventus not slowing down anytime soon, this doesn’t bode well for the likes of Napoli and Genoa, who haven’t done much either in January.
Without further ado, SBOTOP is here to review the winter transfer window as far as certain Serie A clubs are concerned.
Winner: Inter Milan
Inter Milan are contending for this season’s Scudetto because of the great retooling job that they did dating back to last term, which has continued this winter.
Like most teams, the Nerazzurri have had their share of injuries. So in January, they made the move to bring on Tajon Buchanan from Club Brugge for a relatively cheap fee.
Acquiring Buchanan is not, by any means, a win-now move for Inter Milan, especially since he has yet to play a single game for them thus far, but he was signed until 2028 for a reason.
The first Serie A Canadian player is just about to turn 25 next week, and he figures to be a developing project. Buchanan can play multiple positions for Inter Milan (full-back, winger, and attacking midfielder), making him an asset to Simone Inzaghi’s fluid tactics.
Other than acquiring Buchanan, Inter Milan also loaned out youngsters Lucien Agoume and Eddie Salcedo to Sevilla and Lecco, respectively this January.
Loser: Napoli
As mentioned by my SBOTOP colleague Keith, Napoli decided to sell Eljif Elmas to Napoli for a transfer fee worth €23 million, which should’ve been higher, if we’re being honest.
The North Macedonian footballer has spent four-and-a-half years in Naples, tallying 19 goals and 11 assists in 189 appearances. Not only can Elmas play in central midfield, he can also play as a winger on the left and right sides.
In return, the Partenopei got Cyril Ngonge from Hellas Verona for €18 million. This season, the 23-year-old winger has recorded six goals and two assists for Gialloblu, but for some reason, he has yet to make his Napoli debut.
With Victor Osimhen currently competing in the AFCON for Nigeria and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and his representatives not on great terms with the front office, according to the Serie A 2024 news, Napoli are unlikely to successfully defend their title.
As of this writing, Napoli are now ninth in the Serie A standings with 32 points.
Winner: Juventus
With Paul Pogba out indefinitely due to his doping ban, Juventus went out to get another midfield reinforcement, who plays just like the Frenchman, in the form of Carlos Alcaraz (not the tennis star).
Juventus have brought in the 21-year-old midfielder via a loan agreement with Southampton with a buy option of around €40 million that could be triggered if things work out.
Alcaraz has spent the last six months in the Championship after Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season. He was called up by the Argentina national team during the World Cup qualifiers, and he has played in 23 of the 28 league games that the Saints have played this season.
Alcaraz is a traditional box-to-box midfielder that can score goals, so he fits into Max Allegri’s tactics. His addition certainly brings competition to the likes of Manuel Locatelli, Weston McKennie, Adrien Rabiot, Fabio Miretti, and Filip Kostic.
Loser: Genoa
Losing your best defender is not the way to go during the transfer window, which is why I have Genoa listed as a loser since they could’ve gotten a better return than the €31 million transfer fee that they got from Tottenham.
Besides the Spurs, Bayern Munich were also interested in getting Dragusin.
In the 19 starts Dragusin had for them earlier this season, the Romanian centre-back led Genoa in minutes played (1,710) and headed clearances (45), and only once did an opponent successfully dribble past him. Other than that, he also ranked second in duels won (88), duel success (67-per cent), and blocks (12).
As part of the deal, Genoa got Djed Spence on loan until the end of the season. Although they’ve gone undefeated in their last seven league games (W3, D4), it’s hard to envision Genoa finishing in the top half of the table at the end of this season now that they’ve lost their best player.
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