The Italian footy action is almost over folks, for a few weeks anyway, and it’s time for the coaches, players and fans of Serie A to take a deep breath…and then look forward to next season!
The celebrations are still going on in the region of Naples, on the holiday island of Capri and up the beautiful coast of Amalfi, sky blue and white flags adorn houses, boutiques and restaurants after I Partenopei won a first Scudetto since 1990.
While Naples basked in the glory of their long-awaited triumph, there was disappointment in Milan, Rome and Florence.
Italian clubs lost in the final of each of Europe’s three competitions. Inter Milan were defeated by Manchester City in the Champions League on Saturday; and that followed disappointments for AS Roma, in the Europa League final against Sevilla, and Fiorentina, who outplayed West Ham in the Europa Conference showcase on Wednesday, but were undone by a Jarrod Bowen strike in the 90th minutes.
There are two more matters to be settled on Sunday night: Bari host Cagliari in a second leg Serie B promotion play-off after drawing the first leg; Frosinone and Genoa have booked their places at the top table already. Meanwhile Spezia and Hellas Verona are in a winner-takes-all clash in a 90 minute shootout. After finishing 17th and 18th in the Serie A league table, the loser of this one will join Cremonese and Sampdoria in the second tier.
But away from the last on-field action, the boardrooms of the top clubs are getting busier as they try to strengthen their squads for the 2023/24 campaign; which will be upon us sooner than you think!
The summer Serie A 2023 news is bound to be dominated by speculation over the future of Napoli’s scoring sensation Victor Osimhen. The Capocannoniere winner has been watched and admired by pretty much all the top clubs in Europe; and Paris Saint-Germain is the latest megaclub to be linked with the Nigerian goal machine. The Ligue 1 giants have deep pockets and will aim to tempt Osimhen to leave his beloved Napoli but they will have to meet an eye-watering asking price of around 150m Euros for serious negotiations to begin.
That’s a story that will run for a few weeks yet.
As well as coping with Europa disappointment, AS Roma have a headache to deal with following the heartbreak felt by striker Tammy Abraham when he suffered a torn ACL injury with ten minutes of the 2022/23 season to play. In the 80th minute of Roma’s 2-1 victory over Spezia, the former Chelsea man was stretchered off, and this type of injury can see a player out for a long stretch, and a return before December looks highly unlikely for Abraham.
Former Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca could be a solution for Roma. Following a difficult season with West Ham United, after his 30m Euros switch to the Premier League, Scamacca might be receptive to a return to Italy and Roma officials are reported to be keen on a loan deal for the striker.
Chelsea boys with their eyes on Milan
When the SBOTOP stats team start looking at the Serie A 2023 betting odds for next season, they’ll have a close eye on Milan, where the Inter and AC recruitment teams have work to do before they go again in August. Nerazzurri and Rossoneri finished third and fourth this season and will need to bolster their ranks to be competitive in both their domestic leagues and the Champions League.
Romelu Lukaku has looked happier back with Inter Milan, after a poor season on his return to Chelsea, and the Belgian striker must now wait to see where he’ll be playing next season He came on as a substitute in the Champions League final and, after the game, Inter president Steven Zhang refused to be drawn on Lukaku’s immediate destiny, but he did say: “Romelu loves Inter; that’s very clear. He’s a great guy but he’s under contract at Chelsea. We have to wait and speak to Chelsea to make Lukaku’s future clear”.
In other news AC Milan are saying goodbye to a legend following the announcement on Sunday by Zlatan Ibrahimovic that he is ready to retire. The 41 year old has called time on his career which has ended in the stellar surroundings of the San Siro. But as the super Swede says goodbye, there may be an arrival of a player at the other end of his career as I Rossoneri are rumored to be weighing up a loan deal for Carney Chukwuemeka. The 19 year old has struggled for game time since his move from Aston Villa in 2022, and new Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino may offer him a loan move to build his experience and confidence.
An attacking midfielder, Chukwuemeka scored six goals in 13 appearances for England U19s and he is tipped by UK pundits as a big star of the near future.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
