The transfer window took centre stage in January 2022 as Juventus beat off competition from Arsenal to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina and sanctioned a trio of midfield departures. On the pitch, Inter topped a Covid-confused table while Mario Balotelli made a surprise return to the Italy set-up…
Words: Stephen Kasiewicz
Juventus and Inter strengthen with Vlahovic and Gosens
Juventus made the biggest investment in the January transfer window by shelling out €80m to finally sign league leading striker Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina.
The 22-year-old snubbed Premier League Arsenal’s interest to end a long saga and commit his future to La Vecchia Signora.
Official: Juventus confirm Vlahovic transfer and details of deal
In what was the fifth-most expensive transfer in Serie A history, the 22-year-old inked a deal until 2026 with Juve amid a frenzy of daily speculation about his future.
The prolific Serbian, who had netted 17 goals in 21 league games for Fiorentina, followed a lengthy line of players to swap the Viola for the Bianconeri including Italy icon Roberto Baggio, and Azzurri wingers Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa.
Juve also signed Switzerland international Denis Zakaria from Borussia Mönchengladbach, while the midfield trio of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski (both Tottenham Hotspur) and Aaron Ramsey (Rangers) all departed the Allianz Stadium.
Inter also bolstered their squad with the arrival of Germany international Robin Gosens from Atalanta.
The 27-year-old was a significant capture for the Nerazzurri who paid a reported €25m to bring the talented wing-back to the San Siro.
Elsewhere, Atalanta finalised a deal for exciting Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga, Roma added the versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Chelsea and brokered a loan move for Portuguese midfielder Sérgio Oliveira from Porto.
Former Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen signed for English side Brentford just seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020. The 29-year-old was fitted with a heart-starting device (ICD) following his collapse but left Inter as league rules prevented him from playing with it in Serie A.
A full list of all Serie A transfers in the January 2022 transfer window
Inter lead despite Covid chaos
In a month disrupted by Covid-prompted fixture confusion and cancellations Inter maintained their lead at the top of Serie A.
Bologna, Torino, Salernitana and Udinese were all affected as the league and local health authorities clashed regarding rules and restrictions, leading to bizarre scenes of teams showing up for games in which the opposition were banned from playing.
Nevertheless, Simone Inzaghi’s side finished January four points clear of a rejuvenated Napoli, defeating Lazio and Venezia and gaining a hard-fought point at Atalanta to end the month in first place.
The Nerazzurri also claimed the first silverware of the season by defeating Juventus to win the Italian Supercup. The often-derided Chilean attacker Alexis Sanchez netted a dramatic late winner to spark frenzied celebrations after a Lautaro Martinez penalty cancelled out Weston McKennie’s opener at San Siro.
Napoli were boosted by the return of key players as captain Lorenzo Insigne, midfielder Fabian Ruiz and forward Victor Osimhen all made comebacks from injury.
The Partenopei were unbeaten throughout the month to advance into second spot, recording a 1-1 stalemate at Juventus before beating Sampdoria, Bologna and Salernitana.
Milan kept pace with Napoli in third on 49 points but were humbled in an incredible 2-1 defeat at home to Spezia. In one of the season’s most thrilling upsets the Ligurian club claimed a winner six minutes into added on time through Emmanuel Gyasi after Junior Messias had a goal controversially ruled out.
Serie A | Milan 1-2 Spezia: Rossoneri upset following late winner
The Rossoneri swept Roma and Venezia aside in comfortable victories, ending the month by claiming a point in a drab goalless draw with Juventus.
Atalanta remained in the final Champions League position in fourth, thumping Udinese 6-2 at the Dacia Arena in a ruthless display of attacking football before uncharacteristically drawing a blank in scoreless draws against Inter at home and Lazio away.
It was a mixed month for fifth placed Juventus as they lost star winger Federico Chiesa for the season after he suffered a cruciate ligament knee injury.
Chiesa was forced off as the Bianconeri prevailed to defeat Roma 4-3 at the Stadio Olimpico in one of the most entertaining games of the campaign.
Season over for Chiesa as Juventus confirm serious knee injury
Defender Matteo De Sciglio was the unlikely match winner as Juve scored three goals in seven second half minutes and had defender Matthijs de Ligt sent off in an enthralling match.
English striker Tammy Abraham nodded Roma ahead but Paulo Dybala’s sumptuous curler from outside the penalty area restored parity in the first half.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan sent the home side ahead with a deflected strike and Lorenzo Pellegrini curled in a memorable free kick as Roma surged ahead but Juve mounted a spirited comeback. Manuel Locatelli and Dejan Kulusevski drew the Bianconeri level before De Sciglio bombed forward on the left flank to slam home the second goal of his senior career. Pellegrini missed a penalty after de Ligt was dismissed as the Old Lady somehow held on to seal a superb victory.
Juve also recorded a routine win over Udinese and drew with Napoli and Milan to conclude January just a point behind Atalanta in the standings.
Insigne chooses Toronto
Lorenzo Insigne sealed a stunning pre-contract move to Toronto FC after turning down a major pay cut to stay at Napoli.
The 30-year-old agreed a lucrative four-year deal and will earn a reported €11.5m per season at the Major League Soccer (MLS) club.
Insigne had been linked with Barcelona and several Premier League sides but opted for an entirely unexpected destination.
Few leading European players had chosen to leave the continent for what many consider a less prestigious league, but Insigne heads to Canada in July at the peak of his career.
The European Championship winner will finish his 11th season with Napoli before departing in the summer.
Insigne matched club legend Diego Maradona by scoring his 115th goal for Napoli as they hammered Salernitana 4-1 and professed his love for the Partenopei in a passionate celebration.
Insigne could lead an Italian exodus to Toronto as both Genoa defender Domenico Criscito and Torino attacker Andrea Belotti were also on the Canadian club’s wish list.
Insigne message ahead of Toronto move: ‘I will always love Napoli’
Italy recall for Balotelli
Mario Balotelli was given an unlikely international shot at redemption as he was called up for Italy’s training camp by Roberto Mancini.
The maverick striker had been off the Azzurri radar for more than three years before Mancini brought him back to Coverciano.
It was a rare chance to impress for the 31-year-old ahead of Italy’s World Cup play-offs against North Macedonia and either Turkey or Portugal in March.
Balotelli earned his place at the camp after scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 21 games for Turkish Super Lig side Adana Demirspor.
The chances of Super Mario leading Italy to the World Cup appear slim, although the often temperamental forward was at least in good spirits throughout the Azzurri squad gathering.
The former Inter and Manchester City striker, who had scored 14 times in 36 caps for Italy, was joined in the 35-man squad by seven new call ups.
Two Brazilian born players – Cagliari striker Joao Pedro and Lazio defender Luiz Felipe – joined the three-day camp in Florence along with goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi (Cremonese), defender Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta) and midfielders Davide Frattesi (Sassuolo), Samuele Ricci (Empoli), and Nicolò Fagioli (Cremonese).
Sampdoria and Genoa change coaches
Both Derby della Lanterna rivals sacked their coaches in January as the threat of relegation loomed.
Genoa dismissed former Milan great Andriy Shevchenko after a calamitous tenure in which the Rossoblu claimed just one victory – a Coppa Italia win against Salernitana – in his 11 game spell at the helm.
The 45-year-old Ukrainian was a surprise choice when replacing Davide Ballardini on November 7, 2021, but failed to lift Genoa out of the relegation zone.
Relatively unknown German Alexander Blessin was another left field choice to replace Shevchenko after managing KV Oostende in Belgium.
Sampdoria lost patience with Roberto D’Aversa and finally fired the beleaguered coach with Doria just three points clear of the relegation places.
The Blucerchiati picked up a paltry five victories in 23 Serie A games under the guidance of D’Aversa who failed to prevent Parma’s drop into the second tier last term.
Marco Giampaolo, who coached Samp between 2016 and 2019, was rehired to stabilise the situation as the Blucerchiati began to rebuild under new president Marco Lanna.
Meanwhile former Samp coach Claudio Ranieri was dismissed by Premier League Watford after less than four months in charge.
Italian owner Gino Pozzo sacked the 70-year-old as the Hornets claimed only seven points in 13 games and were left languishing in 19th place in the table.
Ranieri was replaced by another veteran, Roy Hodgson, who left Crystal Palace in summer 2021 and had a short spell in charge of Pozzo’s Udinese in 2001. Hodgson has also previously managed Inter, on two occasions, as well as Liverpool and the England national team, succeeding Fabio Capello in the post in 2012.
Serie A as it stood on January 31
