Six new signings to watch in Italy

MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus has injected an air of expectation into the Italian championship not felt in decades while spending has smashed the €1 billion (RM4.7 billion) mark with more than a day still to go before the transfer window closes.

Champions Juventus top the spree with €235 million invested in new players — more than double rivals AS Roma and Napoli — as for the second straight year Serie A are the only one of the top five European leagues to keep pace with the big-spending English Premier League.

Here picks out six new signings to watch in the coming campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 33 Position: Forward; Previous club: Real Madrid (Spa)

Reigning seven-time Italian champions Juventus had the biggest scoop of the summer in five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who arrived from European champions Real Madrid in a shock €100 million deal. Massimiliano Allegri’s side are counting on the evergreen Portuguese superstar to help win the Champions League.

Gonzalo Higuaín, 30

Position: Striker; On loan from: Juventus (Ita)

Argentine international striker Higuain scored 40 goals in two seasons at Juventus, but with the arrival of Ronaldo has opted to head for rivals AC Milan on a one-year loan deal worth a reported €18 million that gives the Serie A club the option to buy the striker next summer for a further €36 million. Leonardo Bonucci, 31 Position: Centre-back; Previous club: AC Milan (Ita)

Italy international defender Bonucci went back to Turin, where he previously won six Serie A titles and played in both of their lost European finals, after just one underwhelming season at Milan.

Simone Verdi, 26

Position: Forward; Previous club: Bologna (Ita)

The Italian international forward was one of Carlo Ancelotti’s first signings as Napoli coach coming in for €23 million despite the Serie A runners-up trailing behind their rivals in the transfer market spending. A versatile player Verdi scored ten goals last season for Bologna who he joined after Carpi were relegated in 2016, having also previous played for Torino and his boyhood club AC Milan.

Javier Pastore, 29

Position: Midfielder; Previous club: Paris Saint-Germain (Fra)

Argentinian attacking midfielder Pastore returned to Italy on a €24.7-million deal. The 29year-old previously played in Serie A with Palermo from 2009-11 and was named the league’s young player of the season in 2010. The gifted playmaker was the first major signing PSG made in 2011 after being taken over by their Qatari owners.

Radja Nainggolan, 30 Position: Midfielder; Previous club: Roma (Spa)

The controversial Belgium international, looking for a new challenge after being snubbed for the World Cup, links up again with former Roma coach Luciano Spalletti, as Inter look to improve on a fourth-place in Serie A and compete in the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12.