Wow, that’s all I can say seeing some of the transfers that have gone through in the past few days. While there aren’t too many “big” names which moved around, there’s are certainly some interesting, young and skilful players which are going to be wearing new jerseys this season. Let’s see some of the signings that clubs have made, and how they’ll affect the Serie A, and maybe European competitions.

AC Milan get Zibra and Robinho for the attack

AC Milan could be described as one of the European transfer kings, and Robert wrote a great article talking about how AC Milan can now be considered Serie A favorites. The rossoneri were able to get some smart deals like Sokratis and Yepes for the defence, but also big names like Ibrahimovic and Robinho. The Brazilian arrived for 18 million Euros from Manchester City, and he’ll be wearing the number 70, as his Swedish teammate wears the number 11. It just depends whether Zibra and Robinho can find a way to score goals without getting in each other’s ways, for now, they seem like great signings.

Roma grab Borriello from Milan

After Adriano came, it seemed like the attack was sorted, but little by little the hype around the Brazilian ended. And then it was revealed that Adriano would be out for about a month due to a muscle tear in his right thigh which occurred during training. With the Brazilian out, all that was left up front was Grandpa Totti, Vucinic, Menez, and Julio Baptista, so Roma have decided to get AC Milan’s striker Marco Borriello on loan. Whether the Italian will do well at Rom is a mystery to me, it could go either way, but hopefully for him he’ll be able to reproduce the form of his Genoa days.

Huntelaar goes to Schalke 04 and Kaladze to Genoa

AC Milan were able to offload some of their lesser needed players now that they’ve gone and bought stars from abroad. Huntelaar said he didn’t want to leave AC Milan, but he mentioned that when Ibrahimovic arrived, things changed. And so the Dutch forward has gone to Schalke 04 in Germany to join Raul, and apparently the German team paid him 14 million Euros, a good deal for Milan. The other player who left is Kakha Kaladze, the 32 year-old has joined Genoa permanently for an undisclosed fee, and so AC Milan have gotten rid of another useless player.

Juventus find Traore and Rinaudo

Juventus have also decided to make sure that their squad isn’t too dry, therefore they’ve been able to get Rinaudo and Traore on loan from Napoli and Arsenal. Armand Traore is a promising 20 year-old left-back who will hopefully solve Juve’s problem on the left wing, and play behind Milos Krasic successfully. Leandro Rinaudo on the other hand is a center-back who will be used as backup for Chiellini and Bonucci, at 27 years-old, he’s probably not going to sign a permanent deal for the season after, but it’s still a reinforcement for the bianconeri.

Parma get Candreva and Jimenez joins Cesena

Parma have reinforced even more, not only did they get Giovinco on loan from Juventus, but they also got Candreva from Udinese on loan. It will be interesting if Parma can do better than they did last season with these new signings. And a small note, Luis Antonio Jimenez has joined Cesena on loan from Ternana, a club from the Lega Pro Prima Divisione which is the Italian third division.

What are your thoughts on some of these deals? Will they work at their new clubs? Who’s the best signing from a Serie A team this transfer market? Share your thoughts below by commenting!

In July, I wrote a post for this site asking AC Milan fans for calm.  The club had been quiet on the transfer market and Silvio Berlusconi had gone public in saying he intended to build his youth academy to help the team.  I said at the time that if the club did not acquire any big names, they would be title contenders but would not be favorites.

Flash forward forty plus days.  Ibrahimovic.  Robinho.  Boateng.  The club worked the transfer market hard in the waning hours and secured some of the biggest names available on the market.  They also grabbed Sokratis from Genoa, a smaller profile signing that helps their defense.  In exchange, they dumped the aging Marco Borriello, overrated Huntelaar, and backup striker Dominic Adiyah.  As the dust settles on the summer transfer dash and the ownership begins to show off the new presents to the fans, the question is:

Is Milan now the favorite to win the Serie A title?

If Allegri decided to stick to a 4-3-3, here is the lineup the club could field in coming weeks:

Keeper: Amelia

Defenders: Antonini, Thiago Silva, Nesta, Bonera

Midfield: Seedorf, Pirlo, Ambrosini

Forwards: Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho, Pato

Bench: Robinho, Boateng, Inzaghi, Antonini

The biggest impact the additions have on this club is to make the forward position younger and more deadly.  Ibrahimovic has the ability to dominate on the offensive end and provides a consistent scoring threat this club lacked from the forward position last season.  Ronaldinho, while at times dominant, came into camp out of shape and was disinterested at times last year.  If he is physically unfit to play or the club needs a spark, a younger Robinho can sub in or start in his place.  On the bench is the all-time leading scorer in European competition in Inzaghi.  So your front line has youth, experience, height, quickness, and speed.

A concern expressed by Niccolo in the preseason was Milan’s aging in the midfield.  Kevin-Prince Boateng, who showed great potential in the World Cup (as well as a need for his game to mature), provides that young depth and long-term starter the club was seeking in the offseason.  The unheralded signing of Sokratis also provides some talented depth for the backline, which at times struggled last year and had a penchant for allowing careless goals.  If he’s healthy, American national Oguchi Onyewu also gives the club a talented defender off the bench.

Another aspect is the emergence of Alexandre Pato.  Scoring twice on Sunday and looking very good in the preseason, this could be his breakout season and at age 20 a precursor to many successful seasons for AC Milan.  The moves this summer allow him to mature within a system where he is not the biggest name or has all the offensive pressure on him.

On the other hand, the expensive acquisition of Robinho can arguably be throwing money at an underachiever.  After excelling at a young age in Spain, the Brazilian clashed with management and the EPL culture in Manchester City, leading to his sale this transfer season.  Management likely hopes pairing him with Ronaldinho will lead to a resurgence and comfort on and off the pitch.  Also, the club’s defense is still solid but not spectacular and was a weakness last season, especially against Inter Milan.

So, does AC Milan now have the talent to be the favorites in Serie A?  Going into the season Inter was the consensus favorites and the club has kept its key players, especially Maicon.  I also give them the edge in managers with Bentiez’s experience.  I still consider Inter Milan the favorites for Serie A but the gap has closed considerably and the Milan derbies this year will be epic.

Agree or disagree?  Share your comments below or on Twitter @roberthayjr.

Milan defeated fallen giants Juventus 3-0 in a match with no consequence to the Serie A title race yet it served as the proper farewell for coach Leonardo who managed to do well despite the lack of depth in the squad and the limited resources.

The Rossoneri only spent on Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who turned out to be a flop and was unimpressive forcing Leonardo to confine the Dutchman to the bench and use Alexandre Pato and Marco Borriello as his starting duo in attack. Unfortunately injuries had a negative effect on Milan’s season with Pato missing a chunk of the season due to injury along with centre-back Alessandro Nesta who has been sorely missed in recent weeks.

The lack of alternatives to both Pato and Nesta meant the Rossoneri had no chance to compete for the Serie A title and this was evident as the club’s progress was halted in recent weeks with defeats against both Sampdoria and Palermo. Defeating Juve is always a positive thing and a welcome sign but the current Bianconeri players are a shadow of the feared side in the mid 1990s and early 2000s.

Leonardo proved he can remain calm and make the right decisions despite the tremendous pressure heaped upon him and the constant criticism from president Silvio Berlusconi. The tifosi gave the Brazilian coach a tremendous farewell as they chanted his name and held banners to thank him for his efforts. Milan’s management has committed a big mistake by letting the Brazilian leave as he has been part of the club for over a decade in multiple roles and has helped bring in some of the brighter Brazilian talent to Milanello. With every Milan defeat one could see how that affected Leonardo who would cheer on with every goal scored by the Rossoneri throughout the season.

Milan will also need to replace not just the outgoing coach but also some of the veterans who are nearing retirement and must address the status of Huntelaar. The Dutchman will be best served if he is sold and that can bring in some much needed funds which can be used to bring another quality attacker who can hopefully adapt to life with the Rossoneri and meet expectations. The Rossoneri are in desperate need of at least one full-back considering Gianluca Zambrotta and Massimo Oddo are no longer capable of properly fulfilling their role in that position.

In midfield Gennaro Gattuso must be replaced and it is clear Frenchman Mathieu Flamini is not the ideal solution so the club ought to bring in a defensive midfielder to reinforce the squad. Finally, the biggest concern will be the status of Brazilian duo Pato and Ronaldinho. Pato has been linked with a move to the England Premier League while Ronaldinho has had his best season in Serie A and was one of the key players behind Milan’s ability to end the season in third place. Ronaldinho will finish the season as Serie A’s top assist man and has managed to find the net four times in two matches against the Bianconeri. He showed flashes of brilliance in several matches this season and while he has yet to return to his Barcelona form, the Brazilian managed to end the season on a high and produced a series of convincing performances during this campaign which merited a recall to the Brazilian squad headed to South Africa 2010.

The summer will be a crucial period for the club to make the necessary adjustments and bring in a qualified coach. The rumours point to either Mauro Tassotti or Filippo Galli taking over and while this means the Rossoneri will look for their former players to lead the line, this move might backfire as not every former player can become a decent coach.

With the current crop of players, Milan were unlikely to win the Champions League as the Rossoneri have no depth, are short on alternatives in key positions and have an inexperienced Coach in Leonardo. The Brazilian Coach has been decent overall working to his best with the players available at his disposal. Against Manchester United he made a number of mistakes in terms of his selection and starting lineup as well as his substitutions.

Without taking anything away from Wayne Rooney who has been phenomenal this season, Milan could have easily put this match away if a few elements went there way beginning with the choice of starters. There is no point dwelling on whether the outcome would have been different if the necessary adjustments were made, but this could serve as a lesson which will help Leonardo and the Rossoneri in the future. In recent weeks, there have been rumours concerning Leonardo’s future with reports claiming he will be ousted at the end of the season if Milan have fail to overcome the English champions.

Below are some of the key points for reference following the  loss to Manchester United:

- Dida: The Brazilian goalkeeper is unworthy of playing on a team of Milan’s stature. The custodian has proven time and again he is prone to committing errors and his performances over the last several years have left a lot to be desired. Besides his customary blunders, Dida has become an obvious weak link in the Milan defense which other teams often target. With Christian Abbiati back, why did Leonardo pick Dida ahead of him? Abbiati is not flashy but certainly more reliable than Dida.

- Starting Lineup: All season long Leonardo has been reluctant to start Klaas-Jan Huntelaar except in emergency situations and he did score twice against Udinese but why start him now? Leonardo could have used Alexandre Pato as the striker upfront with support from Ronaldinho and with Clarence Seedorf starting as well. Seedorf is a seasoned veteran and has won the Champions League on three different teams (Ajax, Real Madrid and Milan) so surely he would be more worthy to start than Huntelaar even if it meant isolating Pato upfront. Still, Ronaldinho could have been pushed further upfront while Seedorf played on the left side of the midfield.

While Daniele Bonera was not a disaster but the decision to not start Ignazio Abate who has played many more games this season is quite surprising. Abate might not be the best equipped for the right-back position given it it not his natural position but his pace could have troubled Manchester United more.

One thing critics must grant Leonardo is the fact he has been consistent all season long in terms of his selections, faith in certain players and his rotation. David Beckham started on the bench the previous two games and while Beckham is a decent player, the pressure of the occasion might have gotten to him. Beckham is not exactly the player to seek in times of intense pressure as seen with England on a couple of occasions during the World Cup. No one is doubting Beckham’s experience, his work-rate or his desire to do well but he could have contributed more coming off the bench. At this point starting with either Mathieu Flamini or Gennaro Gattuso instead of Beckham would have been better.

If Leonardo wanted to have two strikers upfront why did he not use Filippo Inzaghi who is a goal poacher and nuisance for teams. Inzaghi can easily irritate defenders with his approach to the game and is a lethal finisher as his European scoring record can attest to. In certain games experience can trumpet age and current form. Huntelaar has not really impressed so starting Inzaghi would not have been a major risk.

- Substitutions: Those were quite critical as on one hand Seedorf scored a goal after coming off the bench while Inzaghi did miss a chance to score but he added another dimension to Milan’s attacks. The change which definitely hurt Milan was the introduction of Giuseppe Favalli for the injured Luca Antonini. At 38, Favalli is too old to be playing at left-back and while he was a decent player over his career, the former Lazio defender cannot be compared to the great Paolo Maldini. The legendary Maldini was used as a centre-back in the last few years of his career since the left-back position is more demanding in terms of speed and stamina. How can Leonardo use Favalli and why did he not opt for Frenchman Flamini who has placed in that position on a few occasions in the past? At least Flamini has the legs top cope with the physical demands of the position.

- Age Factor: Of the 11 starters and the 3 substitutes who featured against Manchester, 8 players were over the age of 30 and in such a competitive sport having too many older players can easily backfire, in particular when there are few capable alternatives on the bench.

Considering all the factors above and the 3-2 final score, can Milan overcome the deficit and turn the tie around by winning at Old Trafford to secure a spot in the next round? Keep in mind a 1-0 win will not suffice as the away-goal rule will stand to benefit the Red Devils. Milan must score at least twice and win.

The latest reports are indicating Frenchman Karim Benzema could be headed to Italy after just a season in Spain. The striker has failed to impress up to this stage in the season record signing Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentine Gonzalo Higuain handling most of the scoring load.

Despite scoring a respectable seven times in 19 league appearances, Real Madrid could be looking to cash in on their investment and use the funds to bring another striker with David Villa strongly linked with a move to the capital side.

According to rumours in Italy, Los Galacticos might offer Benzema to the two Milan sides but how would Benzema fit at Inter with the club comfortably covered in attack. The Italian champions have Samuel Eto’o, Diego Milito and Goran Pandev all of whom were signed at one this season. The Nerazzurri also have the unpredictable yet talented youngster Mario Balotelli in their ranks as well. Balotelli could be moved due to his shaky relationship with Jose Mourinho but club president Massimo Moratti might veto selling the young striker.

As opposed to Inter, rivals Milan could stand to benefit from signing Benzema since summer signing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has failed to hold a starring role with the team. Huntelaar has seen limited playing time under Coach Leonardo and was rumoured to be on the way out during the January transfer window but he ended up staying. Milan have seen a shortage of strikers as Alexandre Pato just returned from injury featuring against Udinese while Marco Borriello has had an intermittent season. Borriello has done a decent job but his injuries remain a concern. Finally, veteran Filippo Inzaghi will likely leave the club at the end of the season which implies Benzema will be a welcome addition to Milanello.

If he does move to Milan, the main concern becomes whether he will succeed in the tough and tactical Italian league as opposed to the more open la Liga. Inter have no need for Benzema but Milan could use him to partner Pato if Huntelaar is sold, Inzaghi leaves or retires, and Borriello settles in a reserve role. The asking price could also determine whether investing in Benzema is worth the risk with the Spanish giants reportedly willing to lose money and list the striker at much lower than the price paid to bring him to Madrid.