Serie A Daily Report - 2026-07-18

AC Milan emerged as Serie A's biggest winners from FIFA's Club Benefits Programme after the 2026 World Cup, with the Rossoneri set to earn almost €2 million. Across the league, Serie A clubs will receive about €13 million in total from FIFA's roughly €215 million pool, far behind the Premier League's circa €40 million share and La Liga's €18 million. Milan's haul is driven by their ten World Cup players, who spent 456 combined days at the tournament, with France duo Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot each worth €240,000 to the club. The figures underline how international call-ups now feed directly into club finances, especially for teams with deep squads at major tournaments.

Atalanta are next in the Serie A earnings table on €1.4 million, while Inter are also among the league's top three beneficiaries at €1.3 million thanks largely to captain Lautaro Martinez reaching the World Cup final with Argentina. That distribution matters because it rewards both squad depth and tournament progression, giving Italian clubs a modest but welcome cash injection at a time when the league still trails Europe's richest competitions. The gap to England and Spain also reinforces the broader financial imbalance that shapes Serie A recruitment, wages and retention. Clubs with more internationals can at least partially offset costs through FIFA payments, but the sums remain small compared with the Premier League's scale.

Former Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has backed Luciano Spalletti to haul the Bianconeri back into the Champions League after a bruising 2025-26 campaign. Juventus finished sixth in Serie A, two points outside the top four, and only won one of their final five league matches, drawing the final-day derby with Torino. It was the second time in four seasons that Juve missed the Champions League, ending an 11-year run of top-four finishes. That collapse has sharpened the pressure on the club's rebuild and made Spalletti's appointment one of the most important decisions of the summer.

Lichtsteiner's endorsement matters because he knows the demands of Turin and the standards Juventus have fallen short of. He argued that the club need leaders in the mould of Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon if they are to recover their place among Europe's elite, and he described Spalletti as 'more than capable' and one of the best coaches available. The challenge is clear: Juventus are no longer operating from a position of automatic Champions League qualification, so the new manager must quickly stabilise results and restore authority. Anything less would leave the club fighting to protect its status in Serie A rather than setting the pace.

Gian Piero Gasperini has urged Roma to accelerate their transfer business as the 2026-27 season approaches, warning that the squad is still short of the depth needed for another Champions League push. Roma finished third in Serie A last season with 73 points, their highest total since 2017-18, and won their last five league matches to secure a return to Europe's top competition. But the summer has been slow by their standards: only Daniele Ghilardi from Verona and the permanent signing of Donyell Malen from Aston Villa have arrived so far. The club have also lost Zeki Celik to Juventus on a free transfer, adding to the sense that work remains unfinished.

The urgency is heightened by Gasperini's own record and by the expectations that come with Champions League qualification. He won 23 of 38 league games in his first season in charge, and Roma's improvement has raised the bar for what comes next. Yet the squad still looks undercooked compared with the teams they will have to chase in Italy and face in Europe. Gasperini's public pressure is therefore less about drama than timing: he wants reinforcements while there is still enough of the window left to integrate them. If Roma stall now, they risk turning a strong finish into a fragile follow-up campaign.

Inter Milan are reportedly ready to meet Tottenham's £30 million to £35 million valuation for Djed Spence, identifying the England international as their preferred solution at wing-back ahead of the new season. The move would mark a major investment by the Nerazzurri, who are said to have increased their transfer budget after assessing the market. Spence's stock has risen sharply after a strong World Cup with England, where his pace, defensive awareness and attacking energy drew attention across Europe. Inter's interest is being driven by new manager Cristian Chivu, with club president Beppe Marotta and sporting director Piero Ausilio already said to have prioritised the 25-year-old.

The significance is obvious: Inter are not shopping for depth, they are targeting a player they believe can reshape a key tactical role. Wing-back has long been central to Inter's identity, and Spence would be expected to provide both recovery speed and width in a system that demands relentless running. Tottenham's asking price makes this a serious commitment, but Inter appear to believe the England international is worth it after his tournament performances. If completed, the deal would be one of the clearest signs yet that Chivu's project is moving from planning to execution, with Inter aiming to stay competitive domestically while strengthening for Europe.

Yunus Musah's future at AC Milan is becoming a live issue, with Leeds United pushing to sign the United States midfielder while new Milan coach Ruben Amorim wants to assess him first. According to Carlo Pellegatti, Leeds are actively pursuing the 22-year-old, but Amorim is reluctant to sanction an exit before seeing whether he can fit into the squad. Musah has struggled to make a strong impression so far, with Pellegatti noting that he played little at Milan and also had limited impact during a spell at Atalanta. That mixed record has left the club torn between patience and resale value.

The situation is important because Milan are trying to balance squad trimming with the arrival of a new coach who may want to reset several roles. Musah's athletic profile and versatility still make him a potentially useful option, but interest from Leeds shows there is a market if Milan decide to move on. For the player, the next few weeks could define whether he stays in Serie A or heads to England for a fresh start. For Milan, the decision also reflects a wider transfer strategy: keep hold of players who can still be developed, or cash in before their value plateaus.

Fiorentina's summer rebuild has continued with multiple midfield additions, highlighted by Arthur Atta's move from Udinese and the arrival of Oulai from Trabzonspor. Atta has already spoken about the influence of his father, his childhood training in the family living room, and the technical habits that shaped his trademark trivela pass. His comments also referenced facing 'incredible' Luka Modric, underlining the level of opposition he has grown used to. Meanwhile, Trabzonspor have described Oulai's switch to Florence as a major sale, with the Turkish club expecting €30 million in revenue after buying him from Bastia for €5.5 million. That is a huge profit on a player whose value reportedly rose 5.5 times in one season.

For Fiorentina, the double movement shows a club trying to add both present quality and future upside. Atta brings Serie A experience and a clear technical identity, while Oulai arrives as a young asset whose transfer fee signals serious belief in his potential. The scale of Trabzonspor's expected return also explains why the move has drawn attention beyond Italy: it is the sort of transaction that can reshape a club's budget. For Fiorentina, these deals fit a broader pattern of building a squad with resale value as well as immediate usefulness, a sensible approach in a market where established stars are expensive and competition for talent is fierce.

Inter Women have added Samantha van Diemen on a contract running until 30 June 2029, bringing in a 24-year-old defender with experience in the Netherlands, Scotland and Italy. Born in Leiden, van Diemen came through the Dutch federation's CTO programme before joining Ajax's academy and making her professional debut in 2020 against Heerenveen. She later played for Feyenoord, Fortuna Sittard and Glasgow City before arriving in Italy with Roma in the summer of 2025. At Roma, she made 12 appearances across the league, the UEFA Women's Champions League and the Serie A Women's Cup, and was part of the squad that won both the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia.

The signing is significant because it adds a player who already knows the Italian game and has experience in both domestic and European competition. Inter are not just buying depth; they are adding a defender who has already won trophies in Serie A and can slot into a title-chasing environment with minimal adaptation. Van Diemen's international background, including youth caps for the Netherlands and senior friendlies for the Dominican Republic, also broadens Inter's profile in the women's game. A four-year deal suggests the club see her as part of a longer-term project rather than a short-term fix.