Six new faces to watch in Serie A

Another intriguing Serie A title race looks on the cards this season as Italy’s big boys have brought in some well-known names in a bid to dethrone champions AC Milan.

AFP Sport looks at some of the most important new faces ready to make an impact ahead of the weekend’s kick-off:

Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) Lukaku’s return to Inter was supposed to be part of a summer transfer campaign which would make them clear favourites for this year’s Scudetto.

However, their other two main targets, Paulo Dybala and Gleison Bremer were nabbed by Roma and Juventus respectively, leaving a big weight of expectation on Belgium striker Lukaku, who comes back to the Milan club with a reputation to rebuild after a dismal season at Chelsea.

He scored 64 times in 95 games in his previous two seasons at Inter and drove them to their first Serie A title in more than a decade, the 2021 crown ending both an 11-year drought and Juve’s grip on Italian football.

Paul Pogba (Juventus) The France midfielder’s return to Turin from Manchester United was one of two big free-agent moves made by Juventus in the summer and a boost to Massimiliano Allegri despite a knee injury ruining his pre-season.

A meniscus injury in his right knee has pushed Pogba’s second Juve debut back a few weeks but with a World Cup looming in November and December, Pogba has reportedly decided against an operation before the start of 2023, leaving some worries over what kind of player Allegri will have at his disposal.

A Pogba on top form would close a gap in midfield which has been Juve’s weak point for some time.

Georginio Wijnaldum (Roma) Roma have been riding the crest of a wave since winning the inaugural Europa Conference League last season, and the addition of Wijnaldum on loan