The eight best Serie A transfers of the season so far
Carlo Garganese
- 5 Jan 2022 17:20 GMT
- 5 min read
Serie A is no longer able to afford the most expensive players in the world, like it did during the 1980s and 1990s.
But it is still a hotbed of top-class talent, most of whom arrive via the transfer market.
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It has been no different in the 2021-22 season. Football Transfers selects the best transfers of the season until now.
Edin Dzeko: Roma to Inter (Free Transfer)
When Inter were forced into accepting Chelsea’s €115 million bid for star striker Romelu Lukaku this past summer, there was a virtual meltdown among the Nerazzurri’s fans.
There were protests outside Inter’s Appiano Gentile training complex, insulting banners were erected abusing Lukaku, while hashtags trended on social media demanding that the club’s financially-hit Chinese owners Suning sell the club.
There were more protests when Inter replaced Lukaku with a 35-year-old veteran in Edin Dzeko, who scored only seven league goals for Roma last season.
However, Dzeko has silenced all the doubters with a sensational start to his Inter career. He has scored 11 goals and delivered four assists in 24 games as the Nerazzurri have pulled clear at the top of the Serie A table.
Lukaku, who has struggled badly at Chelsea, has not been missed at all. Indeed, in many ways, Dzeko has been even better than the Belgian was.
Hakan Calhanoglu: AC Milan to Inter (Free Transfer)
AC Milan had a nightmare summer on the transfer market in 2021 as they lost both Gigio Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu on free transfers.
Milan fans weren’t too bothered at the time in losing Calhanoglu as he had been inconsistent in the Rossoneri shirt.
But now they are very bothered as the Turkey international has been sensational for their bitter rivals. He has a hugely impressive six goals and seven assists in 17 Serie A games, with no one in the division creating as many goals.
He also scored in the Milan derby, goading his former fans with his celebration.
Mike Maignan: Lille to AC Milan (€13m)
There are few bigger tasks in football than having to succeed a goalkeeping phenomenon.
It is a problem that haunted Man Utd for years after Peter Schmeichel left and it is one that many feared would afflict Milan when Donnarumma left for PSG this past summer.
However, Mike Maignan has been so good that Donnarumma has barely been missed at all.
Apart from one poor game in the Champions League exit to Liverpool – and an unlucky spell on the sidelines - Maignan has been supreme. He has looked like the complete goalkeeper, commanding his box and defence with authority. He will surely be France’s long-term number one very soon.
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa: Fulham to Napoli (Loan)
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has been one of the surprises of the season, not just in Italy but in all of Europe.
Those who watched the Cameroonian at Fulham would not have believed that the central midfielder had it in him to become a top-class player.
However, that is exactly what Anguissa has been since moving to Napoli on loan for the season, with an option to buy.
The 26-year-old has been an indomitable force at the heart of the Napoli side, providing the brawn to Fabian Ruiz’s brain. He also is good technically and is in the top five in Serie A for dribbles this campaign. An unfortunate injury to Anguissa saw Napoli dip massively having initially surged to the top of the table in the early months.
Beto: Portimonense to Udinese (Loan)
Beto was a complete unknown when he arrived at Udinese this past summer from Portuguese side Portimonense, on loan with an option to buy.
But the 23-year-old has immediately shown himself to be a force of nature, at least physically.
Standing at 6ft 4in, Beto possesses ferocious power and pace and has been labelled by some as a “right-footed Romelu Lukaku”.
As his strike-partner Gerard Deulofeu told The Italian Football Podcast, that description isn’t quite accurate but “Beto has this mentality to push on the pitch, to improve every single game. We will do great things together and score a lot of goals together.”
They are already doing great things, with Beto contributing seven Serie A goals already.
Giovanni Simeone: Cagliari to Verona (Loan)
After scoring just six goals for Cagliari last season and only 24 over the past three campaigns, many people felt that Giovanni Simeone’s top-level career was over.
But the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has enjoyed a renaissance this season after moving on loan to Hellas Verona.
He has scored more goals from open play than anyone else in Serie A, hitting the back of the net 12 times in total – none of them coming from the penalty spot.
This has included some beautiful strikes, including a memorable one in the win against Juventus.
Teun Koopmeiners: AZ to Atalanta (€12m)
Teun Koopmeiners’ agent Bart Baving offered his client to every top club in Italy this summer but was summarily rejected by Juventus, Inter and Milan, while Roma couldn’t close a deal.
Instead, Koopmeiners joined Atalanta where, after an early bedding-in period, he has already established himself as one of the most impressive central midfielders in the league.
He possesses a lovely left foot, is a leader on the pitch, and fits in perfectly to Atalanta’s high-press, high-octane style of play.
At just 23, he has a big room for improvement too.
Pedro: Roma to Lazio (Free Transfer)
New Roma manager Jose Mourinho deemed Pedro surplus to requirements when he arrived in the Italian capital last summer.
The Spaniard was seen as too old and injury-prone and immediately was allowed to leave on a free transfer.
Pedro immediately was signed by his former Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri at Lazio and the 34-year-old has been the team’s standout player.
He has scored eight goals and made four assists in all competitions and shown that he still has a lot to give at this level.
