Serie A

The European transfer window slammed shut yesterday with Paris Saint-Germain at the center of everything. Neymar, reportedly the subject of three different bids from Barcelona, is staying put for another season, and the club further strengthened its ambitions by adding three-time Champions League-winner Keylor Navas from Real Madrid for $14.3 million and Mauro Icardi from Inter Milan on a season-long loan. PSG could sign the striker permanently next summer for a total of $76.8 million.

Chucky Lozano didn’t take long to make an impact with new club Napoli. Unfortunately for Gli Azzurri, a shocking own goal wiped out an epic three-goal comeback against Juventus.

Lozano scored in his debut in Serie A, helping inspire Napoli back from a three-goal deficit in what appeared to be a storybook first appearance with the Mexican winger’s new club. 

But Kalidou Koulibaly accidentally turned the ball into his own net in the 92nd minute to allow Juventus to escape with a 4-3 victory on Saturday in Turin.

Despite Inter Milan’s new manager Antonio Conte being widely considered a defensive coach, Inter put on an offensive masterclass during its Serie A opener Monday. Its opponent, Lecce, which was just promoted to Serie A this year, was left hanging its heads as Inter cruised to a 4-0 win thanks to some world-class finishing from the Black and Blues.

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After a fifth-place finish last season led to the resignations of head coach Gennaro Gattuso and sporting director Leonardo, AC Milan’s opening fixture of the 2019-20 Serie A campaign outlined just how difficult the task of improving on that record will be for replacements Marco Giampaolo and Paolo Maldini.  

Udinese, 12th-place finishers last year, recorded a shock 1-0 victory over Milan at the Stadio Friuli on Sunday, condemning the Rossoneri to an opening day defeat for the fifth time in the past eight seasons.

Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is about to join Napoli from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of $47 million with his medical scheduled in the coming days, according to NBC Sports. Lozano will sign a five-year deal at the San Paolo and attempt to take his game to the next level under the guidance of manager Carlo Ancelotti and alongside a vaunted attacking unit containing Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Arek Milik. 

What’s the difference between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? It’s the time-honored question that’ll be debated long after both you and I are altered into cosmic dust, although I’ve personally maintained that the difference between the two is the empanadas they’d serve at a social gathering.

It took a few attempts to find the right price, but Manchester United finally accepted a $85 million bid for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, per the Guardian.

United was trying to work up the price to $97 million but feels it received enough (with the previous bid being $77.7 million) with additional add-ons to be disclosed later.