There’s less than a month until the new Serie A campaign begins and, after a summer in which the national team sat out the World Cup for, incredibly, the third time in a row, the country needs a footballing boost.
Before Italy appoint their new leader – and they have discussed the position with big names (though Carlo Ancelotti is currently tied to Brazil and Pep Guardiola, possibly irritated that Ancelotti was approached before him, has decided not to return to football just yet) – the immediate focus will be on more domestic matters.
Now, of course, Inter Milan are undoubtedly the team to beat after securing a league and cup double with victory over Lazio in May’s Coppa Italia Final.
Yet there are a number of factors to consider before you nail your colours to the mast via our SBOTOP Serie A 2026 betting odds.
One of them is to weigh up the potential fixture congestion of sides playing in Europe next term.
The final day of last season saw AC Milan throw away their chances of Champions League football for the second year in succession, finishing fifth in the table after losing at home to Cagliari, letting in Como who won 4-1 away to Cremonese.
It means Inter, Napoli, Roma and the minnows of Como will be dining at the top table of European football from September.
Furthermore, Milan and Juventus will be in Europa League action next term and Atalanta have reached the Europa Conference, so where will that leave the battle for domestic supremacy and Serie A 2026 highlights?
Two players linked with moves away are Milan’s Portuguese winger Rafael Leao and Roma midfielder Manu Kone.
The latter has been linked with a handful of clubs, including Manchester United who have a place to fill in their engine room after a move for Atalanta’s Brazilian midfielder Ederson was called off.
While Ederson has since signed a new contract with La Dea, it’s reported Roma could do with selling Kone as the Giallorossi are understood to need sales to satisfy UEFA financial rules.
As for Leao, it’s a surprise Milan are willing to sell off one of their top talents, especially now a countryman has come in to take charge in the shape of Ruben Amorim.
According to MilanNews, Leao is ready to turn down a move to Fenerbahce as he is only prepared to play for a side in the Champions League next season.
Elsewhere, Lazio and Fiorentina are reportedly discussing deals for three players, including Portuguese left-back Nuno Tavares.
It’s suggested that Marco Brescianini – a Milan youth product – and Giovanni Fabbian are in Lazio’s sights, although they would probably only sign one, possibly on an initial loan deal.
2025 champions Napoli, who have now bid farewell to Antonio Conte – who doesn’t stay at any club side for too long – have sold winger Luis Hasa and midfielder Alessio Zerbin to newly-promoted Serie A side Frosinone.
Hasa, 22, played for the Azzurri at various youth levels, and earned his senior Albania debut last month.
Two rumours which seem to have legs could even become a reality by the end of the weekend.
Roma have entered talks to sign Antonio Nusa from RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, while Como have submitted a new offer to Chelsea in an attempt to sign centre-back Trevoh Chalobah, who could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge after the Blues’ deal for Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix.
It says much about the standard of Italian club football that two Italians have been responsible for the biggest moves this summer in the shape of Sandro Tonali – who has joined Spurs for an initial £92 million – and defender Marco Palestra – who Chelsea have recruited from Atalanta for £47 million – yet neither of them are plying their trade in Serie A.
That would have been almost unheard of when the Italian league was the best in the world, highlighting the new financial reality it has found itself in since England clubs began to benefit from record-breaking television deals.
Serie A clubs are often now in the market for potential world stars at the start or towards the end of their careers.
Take this week, for example, when AC Milan midfielder Luka Modric signed a one year contract extension.
The Croatian maestro turns 41 in September.
He joined Milan last summer on a one-year deal with an option to extend after leaving Real Madrid.
Still, the fact that Italian clubs still appear more closely matched to each than those at the top end in England, Spain, Germany or France, will make the 2026-27 campaign compelling, even if the standard is not quite the top tier it once was.
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