After one of the most exciting, unpredictable seasons in its history, Serie A is back, ready to deliver fresh twists and turns.

Sides in calcio’s top tier have been busy in the summer transfer market, some more so than others, and many have made managerial changes over the course of the past two months.

There is an air of uncertainty towards the top of the league, and that only adds to the excitement going into the new campaign.

Can Napoli retain their title? Can Gian Piero Gasperini transfer his magic touch from Bergamo to the capital? Can any of the newly promoted trio survive? Who’ll win the Capocannoniere award? Which team will be the surprise package?

Our Destination Calcio writers give their verdicts ahead of the new season.

Title winners

Emmet Gates: Can Antonio Conte do what’s never been done in Naples and retain the title?

Ottavio Bianchi and Alberto Bigon failed to retain the Scudetto in the Diego Maradona years and Luciano Spalletti walked away after the 2023 triumph. Conte could make history by being the first.

Napoli have significantly strengthened, and the smart money would be on them to secure a third title in four years, but the demands of European football combined with domestic fare, an element Conte has never been able to perfect at any of his previous clubs, could derail the holders.

Juventus remain an unknown considering their quiet summer market.  Igor Tudor has a capable squad at his disposal, but it remains to be seen if the former Juve defender has the makings of a title-winning coach.

Moreover, the Bianconeri perhaps lack the firepower in attack to mount a credible challenge.

How Inter recover from their Turkish humbling against PSG will also make for interesting viewing this season. 

The defeat to PSG was a generational one, the kind of defeat that sucks the soul out of a club in the short-term. Can Cristian Chivu steady the ship and push for a title? It’s doubtful.

Atalanta, Roma and AC Milan all appear unable to mount any kind of sustained challenge, so it could be between Napoli and Juventus.

My winners are Napoli.

Dan Cancian: You cannot look past Napoli. Yes, winning the Scudetto twice in a row is a mightily difficult task and yes, Romelu Lukaku’s absence over the first three months of the season deprives the Partenopei of their talismanic striker.

Then there is Antonio Conte’s aversion to compete on multiple fronts, particularly when those fronts include European football. All valid points.

And yet, the reigning champions have to be the favourites after a summer in which they spent €107 million (£92m) on players. Sam Beukema arrived from Bologna to strengthen the best defence in Serie A last season, while Vanja Milinkovic-Savic will challenge Alex Meret for the starting goalkeeper spot and Noa Lang is expected to add a new dimension to Napoli’s attack after joining from PSV Eindhoven.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo Lucca, one of Italy’s most promising strikers, should provide a reliable deputy to Lukaku after signing from Udinese, for whom he scored 12 goals in Serie A last season. And then, of course, there is Kevin De Bruyne, arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League over the past decade, who joined on a free from Manchester City.

Napoli’s biggest strength, however, remains Conte. The former Italy manager looked on the verge of leaving after last season’s Scudetto triumph, but he was given carte blanche to strengthen his squad as he saw fit this summer. He must make it count now.

David Ferrini: The short answer is Inter. Even with an unproven manager like Cristian Chivu, the ego-bruised Nerazzurri will be running on pride this season, with the intention to quiet the naysayers.

And Chivu possesses the squad to do it. Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito, assuming he stays, provide depth in a reinvigorated attack, behind Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram, a factor that severely hampered Simone Inzaghi last term.

More importantly, Inter must overcome last season’s winless run against AC Milan. The latter, now coached by Max Allegri and without European obligations, could be Inter’s main rival as Napoli and Juventus struggle through a torturous fixture calendar.

Top four places

Dan Cancian: Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan take the remaining top four spots. The Nerazzurri may be licking their wounds after last season’s Treble quest ultimately delivered nothing, but retain one of – if not the – best squads in Serie A, while Igor Tudor has shown to be enough of a steady hand over the till to guide Juventus to a top four finish.

The football may not be thrilling, but results are unlikely to be as dismal as they were under Thiago Motta, despite a summer of notable departures. The same applies to Milan and Massimiliano Allegri, whose second spell at the San Siro is arguably one of the biggest sources of intrigue this season.

Granted, the Tuscan does not possess the calibre of players he had at his disposal when he first took charge of the Rossoneri 15 years ago, but in the likes of Rafael Leao, Mike Maignan and Samuele Ricci can still count on a talented squad. Since being appointed in June, sporting director Igli Tare has worked tirelessly to overhaul the options at Allegri’s disposal, jettisoning a number of players who never lived up to their reputation nor transfer fee in favour of younger, hungrier options.

Ultimately it will be down to Allegri to get to them to gel, but without European football to be worried about I can see Milan force their way back into the top four. Surely – surely – they cannot be as bad as they were last term.

Emmet Gates: Napoli and Juve will take two of the four spots, while Inter will surely be good enough to cement a Champions League place despite their Istanbul nightmare.

For me it’s a battle between Roma, Atalanta and AC Milan for the final spot. Any side coached by Max Allegri can’t be ruled out. Yes, the football won’t be pretty, but Max knows how to exploit every last drop from his players, and so on this basis Milan could nab the final place.

Roma will be an intriguing prospect under Gian Piero Gasperini, but he might need time to shift the team in his image, which will mean at least a season of inconsistency.

Napoli, Juventus, Inter, AC Milan for me as the final four.

David Ferrini: Inter, Milan, Napoli and Juventus. Instead of eulogising on Milan’s rebirth under Massimiliano Allegri, I’ll expand on the fight for fourth and fifth between Juventus and Atalanta.

Juventus are spending big, and with the return of Gleison Bremer there is reason to be optimistic. Yes, one world-class defender can make all the difference. João Mario adds pace and Jonathan David has a keen eye for goal.

Having held onto Ademola Lookman, Atalanta are still contenders but might just fall behind the big three into fifth position. Ivan Juric will welcome back El Bilal Touré from a loan spell and Gianluca Scamacca from injury. That should mitigate the loss of Mateo Retegui to some extent.

Kamaldeen Sulemana arrives from Southampton to provide depth and will rotate with Daniel Maldini and Charles De Ketelaere in the half spaces, while Nicola Zalewski and Honest Ahanor, whose idol is Paolo Maldini, boost the backline. This is Ivan Juric’s opportunity to show his redeeming qualities. Do not underestimate La Dea.

Relegation candidates

Dan Cancian: Over the past 10 years, at least one of the three newly-promoted teams has gone straight back down and two of the newcomers have been relegated five times in the past decade.

It is hard to see the trend changing this term, with Cremonese surely among the candidates for the drop, their task made harder by having to operate on a tiny budget and by the departure of promotion-winning manager Giovanni Stroppa.

Fellow newcomers Pisa also face an uncertain future in their first campaign back in Serie A for 34 years after Alberto Gilardino replaced Filippo Inzaghi in charge, but it’s not just newly-promoted sides who have to stave off the risk of relegation. Lecce scored a paltry 27 goals last season, the worst return in the Italian top flight, and their summer business does not bode well for them as they have lost Nikola Krstović and Federico Baschirotto.

The same can be said about Verona, who have sold Jackson Tchatchoua to Wolverhampton, Diego Coppola to Brighton and Daniele Ghilardi on loan to Roma. The Gialloblu have spent around €12m on signings and will need to shore up a defence that conceded 66 times last season, the second-most in Serie A after Monza.

Cremonese, Pisa and Lecce to go down for me.

Emmet Gates: Cremonese and Pisa will almost certainly be in the frame for an instant drop back down to Serie B.

Pisa secured promotion after finishing second behind Sassuolo, while Cremonese’s route was more torturous, eventually besting Spezia over two legs.

Whether Alberto Gilardino is up to the task at the Garibaldi remains to be seen, and a squad that hasn’t much in the way of top flight experience may find it difficult.

The same also applies to Cremonese, who lack the capital to buy their way to safety. Sassuolo will likely survive, meaning not all promoted sides will go straight back down. My money for the third team is Lecce.

The Puglian outfit just about survived last season, but have spent just €3m in the transfer window. 

Moreover, with star striker Nikola Krstović off to Atalanta, the chances of the Giallorossi beating the drop are even more remote.

David Ferrini: Verona, Pisa are my favourites for 19th and 20th with Cremonese and Lecce battling it out to avoid the last relegation berth.

Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco must find a way to reverse the slide of the past three seasons. The Giallorossi finished with a -31 goal difference last term, a dramatic increase from -13 and -22 in the previous two seasons respectively.

Meanwhile, Cremonese shelled out €3m on Lecce’s most reliable defender Federico Baschirotto, a signing which weakens a direct rival.

Given that Nikola Krstović has been sold to Atalanta, the Salentini need goals from loanee striker Francesco Camarda if they are to improve on last season’s team tally of 27 goals, Serie A’s worst attacking record.

Surprise package

Emmet Gates: The usual suspects will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, but I think Como could upset the established order. Cesc Fabregas and his troops finished the season on a high, and he’s managed to keep the nucleus of the squad together.

They’ve added to the team in the shape of Jesus Rodriguez, Martin Baturina and keeping Maximo Perrone at the club permanently after impressing on loan from Man City.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Como secured a European spot, which I suppose goes against the definition of ‘surprise’ package, but Como will go places this season.

David Ferrini: Atalanta are the surprise package for me. Understandably, most people are expecting a slump following the departures of iconic coach Gian Piero Gasperini and Serie A leading scorer Mateo Retegui.

Incoming manager Ivan Jurić may not get hearts racing, but Atalanta have a knack of manufacturing a star or two. When Duvan Zapata, Papu Gomez and Luis Muriel left the Gewiss, sporting director Tony D’Amico secured adequate replacements – Retegui being one of them.

D’Amico has so far turned over €104m during the transfer window, and has reinvested a portion of that into future prospects Nicola Zalewski and 17-year-old defender Honest Ahanor, both arriving with a €17m price tag. Considering Gianluca Scamacca is fit again, and Ederson, Lookman, and Giorgio Scalvini all appear to be staying, I’ll be expecting the wheels to keep turning in Bergamo.

Dan Cancian: It may sound like a left-field choice, but I’m going for Sassuolo. The Neroverdi romped to the Serie B title last season and have kept their squad largely intact, most significantly of all hanging onto last season’s top scorer Armand Lauriente and adding Venezia centre-back Jay Idzes for €8m.

The picture can still change between now and the end of the transfer window, but I’m confident Fabio Grosso will not have to concern himself with the relegation battle come the end of the season.

Como showed an ambitious side can come up from Serie B and mix it up with the best in Serie A and there is no reason Sassuolo can’t follow suit, particularly because their relegation two years ago was a blip in a decade-long stay in the top flight.

Most under pressure manager

Dan Cancian: It is difficult to look past Cristian Chivu here. Under Simone Inzaghi, Inter Milan became one of the best teams in Europe, let alone Italy. Whatever Inzaghi’s shortcomings, two Champions League finals and six trophies in four seasons are a significant legacy.

This, of course, comes with a rather significant caveat. The Nerazzurri fluffed their lines when it mattered most last season and the historic thrashing in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain has left scars which will take long to heal.

Chivu is the continuity appointment and showed at the Club World Cup he’s leaning towards an evolution rather than a revolution this season, with some much-needed fresh blood coming into an ageing squad.

That may serve him well if Inter hit the ground running, but sooner or later the Romanian must make this team his own. Whether he can do that with his limited experience at this level remains to be seen. At clubs like Inter, time is the most precious of luxuries and Chivu may not have much this season should the Nerazzurri be slow out of the blocks.

Emmet Gates: Simone Inzaghi’s hasty exit from Inter Milan left the club scrambling, and Cristian Chivu’s appointment was completely out of left-field considering he had only been in charge of Parma for a couple of months.

He’ll be under pressure from the start and, in the aftermath of their crushing humiliation on the grandest stage in Munich, the scarring from that defeat may take some time to heal.

Does Chivu have the tactical nous to handle a club that’s licking its wounds? It’s hard to say, but one thing is certain, he’ll be under immense pressure to hit the ground running. 

Otherwise, Inter’s season could go off the rails very quickly.

David Ferrini: Antonio Conte may find it tough going fighting on three fronts. It’s all about whether he can take Napoli to the next level in a psychological sense. The weight of the Neapolitan world now rests upon the 56-year-old’s shoulders as expectations continue to grow.

Can Napoli sustain their title defence while competing in Europe’s most prestigious tournament? There are even talks of a dynasty in Campania, and a potential treble. One of Conte’s strengths is his ability to galvanise his teams.

However, everyone wants to beat the reigning champions regardless of who they are, and the big three are ready to fire in their direction.

Capocannoniere

Emmet Gates: I was widely off the mark last season in Lautaro Martinez, so my confidence is shaken in trying to predict a winner for this year.

Moise Kean could be a real shout if he remains at Fiorentina, with the Italian the focal point of the Viola attack.

Mateo Retegui is now gone, and Ademola Lookman isn’t far behind him, so no one from Atalanta will top the charts. Romelu Lukaku doesn’t have a 20-goal season in him anymore, but Marcus Thuram could also be another candidate.

I can’t see any striker from Juve, Milan or Roma sweeping for the award either.

I’ll go for Moise Kean.

Dan Cancian: With Mateo Retegui not available to defend his crown after leaving for Saudi Arabia, Moise Kean, last season’s runner-up, seems the logical pick.

The Italy international rattled in 19 goals last term and looks to have found his perfect environment at Fiorentina, so I’m backing him to sweep the award this season.

Marcus Thuram will arguably be his closest rival, but keep an eye out for the fit-again Gianluca Scamacca and Rafael Leao. Yes, Leao. If there is a manager who can get him to perform consistently that manager is Max Allegri.

David Ferrini: Marcus Thuram is my pick, but this all depends on how much Cristian Chivu is going to push him in the Champions League, as the Frenchman may be rested for specific Serie A matches now that capable attacking duo Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito are wearing the black and blue.

Thuram’s main rivals should be teammate Lautaro Martinez, Moise Kean, and Gianluca Scamacca if he can stay fit for long enough.