Serie A Transfer Window Grades: Did Clubs Get It Right?

The transfer window in Italy did not so much close as slam shut, dragged down by a frantic final flurry of deals, half-deals and late collapses. When the dust settled, 20 Serie A clubs were left staring at their squads and asking the same question: did we actually get this right?

Judging a mercato is always a hazardous business. One club’s masterstroke can look like a misstep from another angle, and the truth usually waits until the first real crisis of the season to reveal itself. A signing hailed as a coup in September can be quietly shuffled to the bench by November. A kid picked up for loose change can end up carrying a title challenge on his shoulders.

That uncertainty is part of the charm. It is also what makes grading these windows such a tricky, irresistible exercise. On paper, some directors have threaded the needle: trimming wage bills, refreshing ageing cores, and still finding room for a dash of fantasy. Others have shuffled the pack without ever really changing the hand they hold.

No-one can know yet which big-name arrival will turn into an expensive passenger, or which unheralded recruit will become the next terrace hero. What we can do, here and now, is measure intent, coherence and courage. Did a club address obvious weaknesses? Did it protect its best players? Did it spend with a plan, or simply to be seen spending?

With that in mind, and accepting that the pitch will deliver the final verdict soon enough, here are my marks out of 10 for every side preparing to do battle in Serie A this season.