With the winter transfer window recently closing, there is no doubt that we have witnessed an exciting fast-paced 31 days that were filled with an abundance of surprise arrivals and departures among various clubs. Without further ado, here are the winners and the losers of the transfer window among the top clubs within the Serie A.
Winners
Juventus
It is safe to say that the Bianconeri were the clear winners within the winter transfer window. Despite the Old Lady making their acquisitions very last-minute, Juventus have managed to obtain very impressive signings that can lead to a major point of inflection within the second half of the season.
With Federico Chiesa out for the rest of the season due to injury and Alvaro Morata under-performing so far throughout this year’s current campaign, the signing of Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina was exactly what Allegri needed in order to fill the void within his squad.
The marksman has proven throughout the first half of the season that he is a high-stature player who is able to compete at the highest level as he is currently the leading-goalscorer with a total of 17 goals in 21 games played. There is no doubt that the 22 year-old will play a pivotal role as the focal point of the front-line through his killer goal-scoring instincts and his remarkable technique on the ball.
In addition, the Bianconeri have managed to complete the last-gasp signing of Denis Zakaria from Borussia Mochengladbach. With the midfield being the Old Lady’s most significant weaknesses, the Switzerland international will be a vital asset within the central area of the pitch. The box-to-box midfielder will provide stability within key areas through his excellent anticipation, his precise long-range passing ability, and his impressive ability to win the ball of the opposition.
Inter
Although many individuals assumed that the Nerazzurri would have a relatively quiet transfer window after their great deal of spending over the summer, Beppe Marotta, the CEO of Inter, has managed to perform wonders in order to secure a splendid pair of signings within the winter transfer window.
La Benemeata have completed the imposing transfer of Robin Gosens from Atalanta. With Ivan Perisic’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, the signing of the German full-back was a necessity in order to ensure that a long-term replacement was secured.
After an impressive Serie A campaign last season where the 27 year-old scored ten goals for La Dea, there is no doubt that Gosens will play a vital role on the left-flank through his excellent tactical defending and his excellent dribbling.
Furthermore, Inter have completed the signing of Felipe Caicedo on a six-month loan from Genoa. With Joaquin Correa currently held at bay due to injury, the signing of the Ecuadorian will allow Inter to have some vital reinforcements within their squad ahead of a difficult Serie A season underway.
Roma
While it was evident that Roma lacked quality within their squad in order to compete with the Serie A’s top-six, the Giallorossi have made some shocking moves within the transfer window that bolstered Jose Mourinho’s side immensely.
So far this season, Sergio Olivera has demonstrated that he is arguably the best signing within the Serie A at the moment. Since recently joining Roma from Porto, the Portuguese midfield ace has scored two goals and provided one assist in his first two appearances for the Serie A giants. The 29 year-old play-maker has played vital role for the Giallorossi through his peripheral vision and his ability to dribble in very tight spaces.
Moreover, Roma have obtained Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season. The promising full-back will play a vital role within Mourinho’s 3-5-2 system through his great deal of pace and his fine-tuned dribbling along the flanks.
Losers
Milan
With Milan’s starting center-backs Simon Kjaer and Fikayo Tomori currently sidelined due to injuries, it was vital for the Rossoneri to sign a central defender.
However, negotiations with Lille over the promising stopper Sven Botman have collapsed, forcing Il Diavolo to have to wait until the summer to secure the signing of the Dutch defender.
In addition, Milan were unable to complete the signing of the midfield dynamo Renato Sanches in order to secure a potential successor for Franck Kessie if he chooses to depart next season. Although they reached an agreement with Lille, they did not have enough time to negotiate the wages with the Portuguese international and his agent.
Napoli
With Mario Rui towards the back-end of his career and Faouzi Ghoulam contract expiring at the end of this year’s current campaign, signing a full-back was a huge priority for the Partenopei. Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan for the Azzurri.
While it seemed that Napoli were set to secure the signing of Mathias Olivera from Getafe, negotiations with the 24 year-old Uruguayan collapsed, forcing the player to stay within Spain for the remainder of the season.
In addition, the club officials were unable to acquire the Ajax want-away Nicolas Tagliafico as the 32 year-old Argentine favored to set his sights on a move to Barcelona over the Partenopei.