Whilst some Serie A clubs worked hard to strengthen their squads this month, others like Milan fell flat in the January transfer window.
The Rossoneri, owned by America investment firm Elliott Management, made only one signing this month, 18-year-old Marko Lazetic from Red Star Belgrade. Whilst it’s company policy that the financial accounts must be closely managed, Milan do sit second in the Serie A table and their inaction in the market may prove costly in the title race with Inter this season.
The failure to sign a defender in particular, considering the serious injury to Simon Kjaer, and the ultimately fruitless focus on Lille’s Sven Botman have left many questioning the Rossoneri’s plan for this month’s transfer window.
Joining Milan in disappointment is Lazio; the Biancocelesti’s January market was heavily impacted by cash flow issues, the now infamous liquidity index, and so they only made one proper signing, picking up Jovane Cabral from Sporting in the final minutes of the window. Whilst the Cape Verdean winger is a strong player, Maurizio Sarri will not be happy with the limited reinforcements available to him.
Finally, there’s Napoli. Luciano Spalletti’s squad is fairly complete, but a new left back to provide an alternative to Mario Rui would have been an important acquisition. The arrival of Axel Tuanzebe also leaves a little to be desired, especially considering that he was brought in to be the replacement for Kostas Manolas.