The 2022-2023 season is dominated by Napoli, who look unstoppable on their way to another league title, their third in history and first after 33 years. Changed from the ground up last summer, Napoli are marching on in Serie A, where they already have a substantial lead over their main chasers Inter, Roma, Lazio, Atalanta and Milan.
Since 2021 at Napoli, coach Luciano Spalletti seems to have found the magic formula, with a group of players no one would have bet on at the start of the season. In just half a year, Napoli have become a force in a league in which champions AC Milan are not to be found, and Juventus Torino were deposed 15 points for reasons known only by the Italian justice. Napoli have not made any notable transfers this winter, the returns from loans of Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria) and Pierluigi Gollini (Atalanta), being the only news.
Inter Milan did not bring in any players this winter. However, it continued to loan out Mattia Sangalli (Trento), Franco Carboni (Monza), Ionuț Radu (Auxerre), Sebastiano Esposito (Bari), Eddie Salcedo (Genoa), Gabriel Brazao (Spal). Juventus loaned out too: Hans Caviglia (Salernitana), Weston McKennie (Leeds United), Luca Pellegrini (Lazio), Marley Ake (Dijon) and Ange Chibozo (Murcia).
Without a spectacular style of play, as we’ve become accustomed, José Mourinho’s AS Roma is in the battle for a place in the next UEFA Champions League season. Roma signed Norwegian international Ola Solbakken from FK Bodø/Glimt earlier this year. The 24-year-old ‘winger’ arrived at Roma on a free and signed a contract valid until June 2027. In return, Roma have loaned Filippo Tripi (NS Mura), Gonzalo Villar (Getafe – loan), Eldor Shomurodov (Spezia – loan), Matias Vina (Bournemouth – loan).
The battle for a Champions League place still includes champions AC Milan, who have had a catastrophic start to 2023. Although they started the year with a win at Salernitana, Milan only scored two points in the next five rounds, recording some heavy defeats: 0-4 away to Lazio and 2-5 at home to Sassuolo, to which was added the defeat in the Derby della Madonnina, 0-1 against city-rivals Inter. AC Milan made only one transfer this winter, the Colombian goalkeeper Devis Vásquez. The 24-year-old Vásquez was transferred from Club Guaraní, Paraguay.
Newly promoted Monza, the team of the famous Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani, is fighting for the unofficial title of revelation of the current Serie A season. After a hesitant start to the season, Monza has sacked coach Giovanni Stroppa, the man who had won the team’s historic promotion, and has appointed 38-year-old Raffaele Palladino, a first-time head coach. In the first five rounds of 2023, Monza won two and drew three, one of the wins coming at the home of multiple champions Juventus Torino! The only player signed this winter by Monza was Franco Carboni, an Argentinean aged just 19, son of Ezequiel Carboni (former Catania player), on loan from Inter Milan.
Spezia and Verona, who are also fighting to avoid relegation, have been the most active in the transfer market this winter. The two transferred seven and six players respectively, but no big names.
