Napoli turned to Manchester United again as they plan the defence of their league title while Cremonese brought in a Premier League icon, Roma had a busy summer and Pisa recruited a World Cup winner.

Now the dust has settled, our writers have picked out nine new arrivals who should thrive in the Italian top flight this season.

Jamie Vardy (Cremonese)

Dan Cancian: It is rare that a free-agent signing commands as much as attention as Vardy’s arrival, particularly when the club snapping him up were only promoted three months ago. But there is no escaping the fact the former England international may be Serie A’s most exciting signing of the summer.

Even at 38, Vardy has lost nothing of his sense for a goal, rattling in nine in 35 Premier League appearances last term, after scoring 18 in 35 games in the Championship the previous season.

He is, in short, the kind of player who can still make a difference and while Italian defences are notoriously more difficult to breach than their English counterparts, it would be a surprise not to see him among the goals. Cremonese are flying after winning their first two games of the season and Vardy’s arrival should keep the excitement going for a while longer.

Leon Bailey (Roma)

Emmet Gates: Gian Piero Gasperini, a man never shy to vent his frustration if his club fails to meet his demands in the transfer market, said as much without going into great detail in a recent interview with Roma’s official channel.

Whether he wanted Bailey is unknown, but the on-loan Jamaican is a very Gasperini player, insofar as he has pace, he’s dynamic, likes to take players on and can help implement the manager’s pressing game at the Stadio Olimpico.

Bailey suffered a series of niggling injuries at Aston Villa last season, and has already been ruled out for a period of time at his new club. But when fit, he will be a big addition to Gasperini’s firepower, a winger who can beat an opponent and get in behind.

Roma have few players like the 28-year-old. Paulo Dybala, glorious as he is, is not the quickest while the same applies to Matias Soule and Stephan El Shaarawy. Bailey’s presence, if he stays fit, gives Gasperini an alternative.

Adrien Rabiot (Milan)

David Ferrini: With Milan’s midfield in disarray, Max Allegri simply could not pass up the opportunity to call upon Rabiot, who was arguably Juve’s best midfielder between 2022 and 2024.

Aside from around 400 matches across Serie A and Ligue 1, Rabiot is a midfielder who can do a bit of everything, and goals are part of the package.

Despite the Allegri-ball horror show at Juve (2021-2024), Rabiot eventually adapted, scoring 16 times in his last two seasons. His one-term stint at Marseille yielded another 10 goals in 31 matches.

Tijjani Reijnders’ departure has left a huge hole, and with Ardon Jashari already suffering injury and Luka Modric ageing, Allegri will be counting on Rabiot to thrive.

Manuel Akanji (Inter)

Dan Cancian: Inter Milan spent the summer overhauling an ageing squad by turning to young players. Petar Sucic, Luis Henrique and Andy Diouf arrived to refresh the midfield, while Ange-Yoan Bonny joined Francesco Pio Esposito as understudy to Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

At 30 years of age Akanji, who joined on loan from Manchester City with a conditional obligation to buy, is a veritable veteran but he is still the second-youngest centre-back in the squad and fresh legs are much-needed at the core of a defence still relying on the 37-year-old Francesco Acerbi and, albeit to a lesser extent, 33-year-old Stefan de Vrij.

The Switzerland international can play across the back three or as one of the two centre-backs in a back four, a position which he has long made his own for the national team.

A Treble winner with Manchester City, Akanji’s ability to play out should be the perfect fit for Cristian Chivu’s possession-based approach, as Inter’s new signing ranked fourth in terms of progressive passes among Premier League defenders last season.

Lois Openda (Juventus)

Emmet Gates: Juventus tried and tried for Randal Kolo Muani all summer, only to see PSG continually shift the goalposts. In the end, club director Damien Comolli pivoted and opted to sign Openda from RB Leipzig in the final hours of the window.

Openda is arguably a more dynamic option for Igor Tudor than Kolo Muani and new summer signing Jonathan David. The Belgian has had a productive spell in Germany, scoring 41 goals in 91 games, with 24 of them coming in the 2023-24 season.

Quick, a keen dribbler and effortless at skipping past opponents, Openda could be one of the signings of the season in Serie A and if he gels with Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao, the 25-year-old could pose serious problems.

The real issue now for Tudor is how does he mix all the talent he has at his disposal together. It’s not a bad problem to have, but it may mean Juve could stumble a little as Tudor works things out.

Jesus Rodriguez (Como)

David Ferrini: Como manager Cesc Fabregas is expecting huge things from £25million-rated Rodriguez.

The signs were there last season at Real Betis, where the teenager scored twice to help his former club clinch sixth place in La Liga. The Lariani were quick to swoop for Rodriguez in the summer, with Gabriel Strefezza making way.

This season, I’m expecting Rodriguez to supply plenty of assists back into the central areas. After just two matches in Serie A, he ranks impressively for progressive carries and successful take-ons, hugging the touchline and causing havoc in the half-spaces.

Having now made his senior Spain debut, replacing Lamine Yamal against Bulgaria, it is no wonder Como were prepared to shatter club records (£20m) to sign the Seville-born talent.

Rasmus Hojlund (Napoli)

Dan Cancian: Two years after leaving Atalanta for Manchester United in a £65m deal, Hojlund is back in Italy after joining Napoli on loan with a conditional obligation to make the transfer permanent next summer if they qualify for the Champions League.

The Dane’s two seasons at Old Trafford were largely forgettable, with Hojlund scoring just 26 times in 95 appearances in all competitions and struggling to live up to the exorbitant price tag that accompanied him to the Premier League.

But there are mitigating factors, chief among the fact succeeding at United is a nigh-on impossible task for most players these days, let alone a young striker starved of service. Hojlund touched the ball in the opposing penalty box just 2.56 times per 90 in the Premier League last term, almost half the figures recorded by the top five players in his position in Serie A.

With Romelu Lukaku ruled out for three months and Lorenzo Lucca still to find his feet after his loan move from Udinese, the Serie A champions needed to bolster their attacking options and Hojlund is a fascinating signing. The Dane will be desperate to prove United wrong and the club’s cast-offs have tended to succeed in Italy, none more so than Scott McTominay, who was named Serie A MVP.

Evan Ferguson (Roma)

Emmet Gates: As Destination Calcio’s resident Irishman, picking the man from Co. Meath was almost mandatory. Ferguson has won plaudits already for his performances despite not actually scoring.

He provided the assist for the winner against Pisa on matchday two, and his all-action style of play is what Gasperini wants from his centre-forwards.

Ferguson now just needs to maintain his fitness and eventually the goals will come. He’s still just 20 years old and a big season as Roma’s leading man is in store, with Gasperini not exactly high on Artem Dovbyk.

Strikers are known to explode under the former Atalanta coach’s tutelage, so it would not be a surprise if the same applied to Ferguson by season’s end.

Raul Albiol (Pisa)

David Ferrini: Pisa signing a 40-year-old defender on their return to Serie A? The critic in me understands the near-impossible job that lies ahead of Albiol, but nostalgia has swayed me when it comes to the former Napoli man.

After all, Italian football is known for its old-school defenders, and the Spaniard – even at 40 – is Pisa’s best. I’m still expecting the Nerazzurri to concede in excess of 60 goals, but if I’m wrong, then it will be down to the World Cup winner and his heroics.

Alberto Gilardino knows how difficult it is to get around Albiol. During Albiol’s six seasons at Napoli, the current Pisa boss (who is three years older) never scored against the Partenopei.

Albiol is Pisa’s version of a Vardy signing, just without the hype. And who could look away from the Albiol vs Vardy duel, which is scheduled for November? It’s written in the stars.