We’ll take a break from the Jadon Sancho transfer melodrama and cast our eyes on what Roma’s rivals have been up to this summer: Who’s improved, who’s taken a step back, and what teams, if any, are likely to exceed expectations in 2025-2026?
While Serie A can’t match the league-wide parity of the NFL, the days of one club reeling off four, five, six, and, in some cases, nine consecutive titles are dead and buried. Granted, we seem to be living in a binary era where Napoli and Inter Milan have fought
tooth and nail to replace Juventus as the league’s dominant force. Still, upstarts like Atalanta, Bologna, and Como have given us reason to believe anything is possible. They may not win the title, but they added some spice to what was otherwise a bland recipe.
We’ll have our annual Roma roundtable discussion coming your way later (possibly this afternoon), but for now, read along as we unpack some of the major storylines facing Serie A at the dawn of a new season.
Note: Most of these responses were submitted several days ago, so some transfer questions may be missing the latest updates.
Which new signing or intra-league transfer will make the biggest impact this season?
Bren: I’m really excited to see Luka Modric in Milan. I’re not sure he’ll have a season-changing impact, but I’ve always admired his style of play, and it’ll be great to see him in Serie A. However, when it comes to potential impact–and as much as it pains me to admit this because I really wanted him at Roma—it has to be Jonathan David and Juventus. He already has over 100 league goals at just 25 years old. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him cash in 20 goals for the Old Lady this year.
ssciavillo: I’m going to be a bit of a homer here, but I think it could be Evan Ferguson. If Gasperini can get him back to where he needs to be physically, I think he should excel in Roma’s new style of play. With Dovbyk being offered elsewhere, it’s becoming clear that the striker position is Ferguson’s to lose, and I think he has what it takes to be a game-changer at Roma.
JonAS: Dzeko to Fiorentina. Edin always delivers, and I believe he’ll easily bang in 15+ goals this season, similar to Luca Toni. For a club like Fiorentina, that’s a solid deal. De Bruyne to Napoli is the best in terms of quality. Okay, he’s 34 years old, but in terms of football IQ and technique, he’s perfect for Serie A.
Jimmy: Jonathan David to Juve is the obvious shout, but I’ll zag a bit from the rest of the gang and make a nod to Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli. Even at 34, he looks set to be a cheat code in Serie A—his brain alone can create 10 goals a season. That said, it still stings watching Roma linked to half these names only for Juve or Napoli to swoop in and close the deal. Typical.
What about managerial changes? Which CT has the potential to make the most significant impact?
Bren: I’ll keep it in-house and say Gasperini. This could arguably be the most intriguing managerial move in all of Europe. What he did with Atalanta over the past decade is nothing short of miraculous–they won the Europa League, for crying out loud! Roma hasn’t even done that. It already seems like a lot of the mainstream media is training its eyes on Gasp’s Giallorossi, bringing even more attention to the club. If it works, it’ll prove that his work at Atalanta wasn’t an anomaly.
On the flip side, there’s some massive Schadenfreude potential with Ivan Juric at Atalanta—I don’t understand the reasoning behind that hire; he’s almost the anti-Gasperini.
ssciavillo: While I believe Allegri will improve the results at Milan, I have to agree and lean towards Gasperini. Stylistically, Roma will approach the game very differently. Gasperini’s style should make Roma even more exciting, especially with the signings they are bringing in. I also think that with some other clubs feeling like they downgraded their managers (Inter, Atalanta, Fiorentina), Roma has the depth on the bench to push back into the top 4, which they desperately want.
JonAS: Gasperini is an obvious choice when talking about prestige and history. He left Atalanta after nine fantastic years and joined a rival for a top-four spot! But I believe Allegri at Milan will also be successful. Milan doesn’t have European duties, so clever Max has entire weeks to fine-tune the squad and go over every single detail. They’ve revamped their entire midfield, welcomed back a better Saelemaekers, and Leao is still there. They are a certainty for the top four in my opinion. Possibly even more.
Jimmy: Come on, it’s gotta be Gasperini. Over the last decade, the man dragged Atalanta from provincial anonymity into European relevance—on a consistent basis, too. If he can inject even half that offensive firepower and success into Roma, we’re talking about a team that can actually, finally go toe-to-toe with the big boys. That’s the dream, at least.
Can any recent upstarts like Bologna and Como continue their ascendency this season? Could there be another unexpected mid-table team climbing higher this year, too?
Bren: How can you not be impressed with Como? If they did nothing else, simply keeping Cesc Fabregas on the managerial bench for another year was a tremendous win. Not only that, they get another year of Nico Paz, who seems destined for a nine-figure transfer sum in the not-too-distant future.
At the very least, they are capable of qualifying for the Conference League next season. But it’s just a tremendous story.
ssciavillo: I believe Bologna is still probably better than Como, but both could push for a spot in the Conference League. That being said, I think this might be the year that the original Seven Sisters once again consist of the league’s top seven teams, especially since I expect Atalanta to take a significant step backward after Gasperini.
JonAS: Yep, Como looks like they’ve improved even more, so the top 8 is definitely within reach for them. I predict Fiorentina (and the deadly Kean-Dzeko combo) will have a say in the top 5 well into the season. But a real surprise package? Then I’m going with Gilardino’s Pisa. I hope they qualify for Europe so they can finally get some money to fix that darn tower.
Jimmy: Como are interesting, Bologna are solid, but I think both will hit a bit of a ceiling this year. If I’m picking a real unexpected riser, maybe Fiorentina sneaks in higher than people expect for the reasons JonAS said above. Pisa as a dark horse would be hilarious though, and yeah, let’s fix that tower.
Who will take the capocannoniere title this season?
Bren: I can see a world where Evan Ferguson hits the ground running and puts his name in the conversation, but I will stick with my Jonathan David prediction. Moise Kean seems to have found his groove with Fiorentina, so I wouldn’t discount him, and until we know where Ademola Lookman will be playing, I can’t factor him into the equation—but if he gets that move to Inter, woof, watch out!
ssciavillo: If my previous answer didn’t give it away, I’m going with Ferguson. I think the Irishman has what it takes to bag a bunch of goals, and Ranieri has perennially had players competing for the capo. You can’t tell me Mateo Retegui is a better player than Ferguson, and he scored 25 to win it for Atalanta last season.
JonAS: Ferguson would be awesome but I just don’t see it happening. A 20-year-old Irish lad in his first season outside the UK/Ireland? In a tough, tactical league like Serie A? I’d choose a more experienced striker like Lukaku, especially with his Belgian buddy and assist king De Bruyne. Too bad he’ll miss the start of the season, and that’s always crucial. So I’m going with Lautaro Martinez from Inter. David and Dzeko will be close, though.
Jimmy: I want it to be Ferguson, Steve, so I really hope you’re right. Still, Lautaro Martínez feels like the safest pick. He’s the one striker in Italy who combines talent, consistency, and system fit. Ferguson would be a dream story at Roma, and I’ve certainly already bought my Ferguson stock (and a kit would be in the offing if I wasn’t working on a budget this year) but asking a 20-year-old to carry the capocannoniere torch in his first year in Serie A is… ambitious, let’s say.
Every year, a player from Serie A breaks out and then gets sold abroad for a big transfer fee the following summer. Who will that be in 2026?
Bren: It’s gotta be Nico Paz. As great as the Como story is, if he continues along this path, how can they turn down the sums to be thrown at them by the usual bigwigs?
ssciavillo: I think Real Madrid still has a buyback clause on Paz, which I doubt they will exercise if he excels again. I’m wondering if it’ll be one of Roma’s talents, like Kone, if they excel under Gasperini the way players were flipped at Atalanta.
Bren: Upon further review, you are correct. But, in terms of that 100M-level talent, he seems best suited for a jaw-dropping deal in the very near future.
JonAS: Yeah, you can bet your money it’s going to be someone from Roma. Ndicka, Koné, Pisili, Soulé—take your pick. Sulemana from Atalanta could be a future star. Nah, never mind; Juric will probably break him before he gets the chance.
Jimmy: Nico Paz looks destined for the big time—and therefore seems destined to head back to Madrid sooner rather than later. If I’m being selfish, I hope it’s Niccolò Pisilli who truly explodes under Gasperini. We need new blood in the midfield—preferably some new Italian, Roman blood.
Will Serie A produce any European champions in the Champions League, Europa League, or Europa Conference League?
Bren: If Inter can land Lookman (a big if at this point), they could be very dangerous in Europe, but call me a homer if you must, I think Italy’s best chance at European silverware this season is the Giallorossi. Gasperini has done the job in the EL before, and if they can lock down these final few pieces of the transfer market, I won’t bet against them landing another European title.
ssciavillo: I don’t know if any of the Serie A teams in the Champions League have what it takes to win the tournament. Inter has been agonizingly close twice, but the managerial change hurts them. Napoli has already lost Lukaku for the next few months. Juve isn’t good enough, and Atalanta will be lucky to make it to the knockout rounds with Juric at the helm. I have to agree that the best hope is Roma in the Europa League or possibly Fiorentina in the Conference League. Both of them have come close over the last three seasons in those tournaments, and maybe one or both can break through. Either way, hopefully, Italian teams perform well enough to get five CL spots again like two seasons ago.
JonAS: Agreed with ssciavillo, Roma and Fiorentina are solid bets to go far in their respective competitions. Talent-wise, they are among the top of the qualified clubs. However, you also need a bit of luck—injuries, suspensions, draws, referees, etc. Regarding the CL: I don’t see Inter, Juve, or Napoli winning it this season, but I hope they’ll go as far as possible so Serie A can regain that valuable 5th CL spot.
Jimmy: No Italian side is built for a Champions League title right now, but I think Roma and Fiorentina will go far. Just pray for decent refereeing and no injury apocalypse for the Giallorossi in February.
And lastly, how will the table shake out? Give us your top 10 teams!
ssciavillo: There are still two weeks of mercato left, so this could change, but here’s where I am at the present moment on Monday, August 18th: Inter, Napoli, Roma, Milan, Juve, Fiorentina, Lazio, Bologna, Como, Atalanta
JonAS: Napoli / Milan / Inter / Roma / Fiorentina / Juve / Como / Atalanta / Lazio / Bologna
Bren: For me, the toughest team to place here is Roma! But here’s my best guess: Inter, Napoli, Juve, Roma, Milan, Fiorentina, Como, Lazio, Bologna, Atalanta
Jimmy: Top ten? Man, you’re asking a lot, Bren, but here goes: Napoli, Inter, Roma, Milan, Fiorentina, Juve, Lazio, Como, Bologna, Atalanta.
I’m betting Roma finally breaks back into the top three and Atalanta falls back to earth after a decade of good times; I’m also betting on a fall from grace for Juve and Lazio while Fiorentina looks to re-establish itself as an Italian powerhouse after a long dormant period. Still, I don’t see anyone touching Napoli’s ceiling if De Bruyne settles in quickly. And I hate to admit that.
That’s it for part one of our season preview roundtables. Check back later (likely this afternoon) when we shift the focus to the Giallorossi. In the meantime, please give us your thoughts on the rest of the league: Who takes the title? Who’s the leading scorer? The next big sale? Let us know!
