With the Club World Cup over for teams in Italy following Juventus and Inter’s rather tepid eliminations and the 2025-26 season about six weeks away, Serie A’s summer business is likely to ramp up.

Napoli landing Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer from Manchester City has been the only marquee signing made from elite and the Belgian, now 34, will be a very useful addition to Antonio Conte’s squad as he attempts to keep the Scudetto in the bay.

AC Milan, meanwhile, have completed the signing of Samuele Ricci from Torino as a replacement for Tijjani Reijnders while Juventus have signed Jonathan David from Lille on a free transfer.

But what do the big sides need from the summer market ahead of next season?

Napoli

The champions are likely to do more business in the coming weeks as Aurelio De Laurentiis prepares to arm Conte with the squad he wants.

Napoli are back in the Champions League and Conte knows he needs a bigger squad as he attempts to fight on three fronts.

One of the conditions of the serial title winner remaining in Naples was De Laurentiis signing the kind of quality needed to retain the Scudetto and make a decent assault on Europe.

In addition to De Bruyne, Luca Marianucci has been drafted in from Empoli for €9million. Bologna defender Sam Beukema, one of the breakout stars of last season, also appears to be closing in on a move to the champions.

Conte needs an alternative to Romelu Lukaku in attack, with Giacomo Raspadori a different kind of forward and Giovanni Simeone seemingly on the outs. Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca are on the radar, but negotiating with both clubs has proved difficult.

Two wingers are also reportedly on Conte’s request list. Matteo Politano has been a stalwart in the two recent title wins, but the Italian is not getting any younger and did not provide that many assists in 2024-25, while David Neres on the other side spent large parts of the season injured.

A left-back is likely on the cards for Napoli, with Leonardo Spinazzola sadly not the swashbuckling player of old, and Mathias Olivera showing his future may lie as a left-sided centre-back.

After speculation he might leave, Frank-Zambo Anguissa appears to be staying, meaning no further reinforcements in midfield are necessary. 

What Napoli need: Left-back, centre-back, two wingers and a forward.

Inter Milan

Last season was a tough one for the 20-time Serie A champions. The defence of their title ended on the final day of the campaign, they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by Milan and beaten by Brazilian side Fluminese in the Club World Cup.

But the biggest humiliation was the Champions League final, where Paris Saint-Germain took them apart in the most one-sided final ever seen.

How Inter bounce back from such mental scarring next season remains to be seen.

They have already moved in the market, signing Brazilian winger Luis Henrique from Marseille for €23m and midfielder Petar Sucic joining from Dinamo Zagreb.

Yet even before the catastrophic final against PSG, it was clear Inter needed to replenish their ever-ageing squad. Inter had the oldest group of players in Europe last season, and Beppe Marotta needs to bring that average down.

The in-fighting between Lautaro Martinez and Hakan Calhanoglu could mean a departure for the Turkish midfielder, with links continuing of a move to Galatasaray.

Joaquin Correa and Marko Arnautovic have left, so new coach Cristian Chivu will likely need another striker to support Martinez and Marcus Thuram.

Francesco Pio Esposito, fresh from his exploits with Spezia and a good showing at the Club World Cup, could be brought back permanently and handed a role to play next season. Yet Inter will likely need another forward.

A quick centre-back is needed, with all of Inter’s established defenders not exactly brimming with speed.

A more dynamic midfielder is also on the priority list despite 36-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s best attempts to defy time.

Yet it is more than evident at this stage Inter need something of a clearout before they make any more moves in the market. 

What Inter need: Centre-back, midfielder, striker.

Atalanta

Atalanta may have a very different feel to them next season, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s farewell from the dugout after nine historic years.

Every summer, La Dea continue to be a revolving door of talent. They have lost left-back Matteo Ruggeri to Atletico Madrid, and midfield dynamo Ederson continues to be linked with a move away.

It is likely another midfielder is required, regardless of Ederson’s future. There is a distinct lack of pace in the middle of the park and, despite Marten de Roon being the embodiment of modern-day Atalanta, he is 34.

If Ademola Lookman, another player linked with a move away after being close to a move to PSG a year ago, does depart then a replacement is necessary.

Ivan Juric is the man the club have entrusted to continue Gasperini’s work, and the former Roma and Southampton coach has a tall order in trying to replicate his former mentor.

Atalanta will likely, as Atalanta often does, buy younger talent with potential resale value.

This has been the case with the €20m signing of Genoa winger Honest Ahanor, who made six appearances in Serie A last season.

The return of Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini will feel like new signings, with the pair missing the vast majority of 2024-25 through injury.

What Atalanta need: Left-back, midfielder, striker.

Juventus

The Bianconeri endured a disappointing campaign in 2024-25 and Igor Tudor knows there is work to be done this summer.

As does new general manager Damien Comolli, and Juve’s showing in the US demonstrated areas of the pitch that are vulnerable.

A new centre-back is needed if Tudor is adamant on utilising a three-man defence. 

Moreover, a midfielder who can dictate the tempo of games is a requirement, with Manuel Locatelli often blowing hot and cold in the role. 

Another striker is needed if on-loan Randal Kolo Muani returns to PSG, with Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen back on the radar.

Someone to play on the right is also in demand, with Alberto Costa impressing in America but still needing to improve. 

Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho is another player being incessantly linked. 

Juve need only two or three signings to compete, but the feeling is they must be major additions. 

 What Juve Need: Centre-back, midfielder, right winger, striker.

Roma

The Giallorossi will be one of the stories to look out for in 2025-26 due to the presence of Gasperini. 

Now back at a big club for the first time since 2011 and his disastrous short stint with Inter, the 66-year-old will have the time to shape Roma in his image. 

Gasperini famously likes to work with young and unproven players, with the argument being they are more likely to follow his strict tactical instruction. 

To that end, La Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported Roma could spend up to €100m this summer in order to satisfy the former Atalanta coach.

A centre-back, two wingers, a midfielder and a striker are thought to be on his list.

Considering Roma spent close to €100m last summer, it remains to be seen if they will do the same a year on.

The club received a fine of €3m from UEFA for violating FFP regulations, so despite Gazzetta’s claims, it seems doubtful Roma will spend to the same extent.

Yet that could be dependant on sales. Tammy Abraham was offloaded to Besiktas before the end of June and Lorenzo Pellegrini’s future is in the air after a difficult season in the capital.

Gasperini needs a reliable defender to operate alongside Evan Ndicka, with Gianluca Mancini erratic as ever last season.

A central midfielder is also a priority with Leandro Paredes on the north side of 30 and Manu Kone needing support. Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley has been heavily linked with a move, as Gasperini is a known fan of the Dane after trying to bring him to Bergamo last year.

With Abraham gone and Alexis Saelemaekers returned to Milan, Gasperini will likely want to bring in a striker and a challenger for Artem Dovbyk. 

The Ukrainian hit a respectable 17 goals in all competitions, but Gasperini demands more from his strikers than just goals. On this front, Dovbyk may not be his ideal leading man.

That being said, three big signings — in each section of the pitch — would be enough for the new boss to build on the foundation laid by Claudio Ranieri in the second half of last season.

What Roma need: Centre-back, central midfielder, striker.

AC Milan

Where to even start here?

The Rossoneri endured a torrid campaign in 2024-25, culminating in their Coppa Italia final loss to Bologna.

Max Allegri has returned for a second spell and the former Juve and Sassuolo boss has his work cut out.

There’s an air of revolution at Milanello. Reijnders, the club’s best player, was the sacrificial lamb in order to balance the books before the end of June.

Former Lazio sporting director Igli Tare has joined along with Allegri, and there is a very high chance the starting XI Allegri names on the opening day against Cremonese will look very different to the one that started on the final day of last season and the win over Monza.

After Reijnders, more exits are likely, with Theo Hernandez on the verge of joining Al-Hilal, while Mike Maignan is of interest to Chelsea.

Ricci has been signed from Torino to be Reijnders’ replacement but the midfield will undergo the biggest change of scenery this summer. 

Luka Modric looks set to sign a one-year deal, with the classy Croat adding vital experience to what is a very young Milan locker room.

Allegri, like at Juve, will want a dynamic and robust box-to-box midfielder. While in attack, Juve’s Dusan Vlahovic, a favourite of Allegri’s, could be a target but would need to drastically lower his salary demands as question marks remain on Santiago Gimenez’s future despite only arriving in January.

Should Hernandez’s departure become official, Milan would likely need a left-back and right-back this summer, with Kyle Walker’s loan spell ending.

Milan are likely to do the most business of the big teams with it clear many of the current crop are not up to the standard required after finishing a disappointing eighth in Serie A last term.

What Milan need: Left-back, right-back, midfielder, striker.