Five newcomers to watch in Serie A

The 2024/25 Serie A season gets underway on Saturday when champions Inter Milan travel to Genoa as favourites to retain their league title.

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AFP Sport looks at some of the new faces to watch out for ahead of the coming campaign as the league’s big hitters try to cut the yawning gap that separated Inter from the rest last term:

Alvaro Morata (AC Milan)
Brought in to replace Olivier Giroud following the former France international’s transfer to Los Angeles FC, Alvaro Morata returns to Italy from Atletico Madrid a freshly-minted European champion with Spain.

The 31-year-old has some big shoes to fill up front — Giroud had a habit of performing in big games and was key to Milan’s 2022 Scudetto triumph — as the Rossoneri begin a new era under Paulo Fonseca.

Morata signed for Milan after the seven-time European champions decided to give up on the chase for new Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, the club deeming 13 million euros ($14 million) a good deal for a experienced top-level centre-forward.

Raphael Varane (Como)
A world champion with France in 2018, centre-back Raphael Varane is the most eye-catching signing of Como’s busy summer in the transfer market after securing a historic promotion last season.

Varane has joined Como on a two-year deal with an option for another season after being released by Manchester United at the end of last season, and joins coach Cesc Fabregas’ ambitious and wealthy team ahead of their first Serie A season in 21 years.

The 31-year-old is a huge coup for Como as he has a wealth of experience at the highest level with three La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues at Real Madrid, who were also crowned