38 Friday Sports Friday, August 20, 2021 Five new faces to watch in Serie A ROME: Serie A has lost two of its biggest names filling the big gap left by Lukaku, Dumfries is this summer in Romelu Lukaku and Italy’s goal- charged with being the new Achraf Hakimi. How the keeping hero Gianluigi Donnarumma, but some ex- 25-year-old Rotterdam native performs on the right citing talent has been on the move to Italy’s top flank in Simone Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 system will be key flight as the new season prepares to kick off. AFP to Inter’s title defence, as the rest of a strong back Sport picks out five signings to watch in Serie A in line and midfield has remained intact. 2021/22: Marko Arnautovic (Bologna) Tammy Abraham (Roma) The volatile Arnautovic has had a busy summer: England international Abraham’s move to Roma slapped with a one-game ban for insulting a North comes at a crucial time in his career, as he leaves Macedonia player during Euro 2020, before a the only club he has ever known in Chelsea for an razor-thin offside decision via VAR stopped him uncertain rebuilding project in a new country under from putting Austria ahead against Italy at a crucial new Roma coach Jose Mourinho. stage of their last-16 clash, eventually losing 2-1 at Frozen out at the European champions since Wembley. Thomas Tuchel’s arrival as coach and pushed fur- He then said goodbye to Chinese Super League ther down the pecking order by the signing of side Shanghai Port after apparently asking for a Lukaku from Inter Milan, Abraham will be the first- pay-off to terminate a contract that reportedly choice striker for a team which is not only out of earned him over 200,000 euros ($234,000) a week. the Champions League but will be in the new Eu- Now safely in northern Italy, the 32-year-old netted ropa Conference League after finishing seventh in on his Bologna debut on Monday — but was on the Serie A last season. wrong end of a nine-goal thriller with second-tier He will be expected to fill Edin Dzeko’s shoes Ternana which dumped Sinisa Mihajlovic’s team out and lead the attack alongside the likes of rising star of the Coppa Italia in the first round. BELFAST: Chelsea’s English striker Tammy Abraham (right) take part in a training session on the eve of the UEFA Nicolo Zaniolo, and after playing just 17 minutes in Super Cup match against Villarreal at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland on August 10, 2021. Abraham the final three months of last season this is a new Olivier Giroud (AC Milan) completed his move to Roma on August 17, 2021, the club announced. —AFP level of responsiblity for talented the 23-year-old. France’s second-highest scorer of all time joins a stellar cast of veteran forwards in Serie A, arriving With Milan back in the Champions League for A last season. Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan) at Milan from Chelsea after playing an important the first time since 2013/14, a reliable presence in The 23-year-old played just once between Feb- Possibly the most intriguing signing of the sum- role in the Blues’ march to Champions League front of goal could be just what Stefano Pioli’s team ruary and May last term for Stuttgart, having mer, Dumfries shone at Euro 2020 for the Nether- glory. Giroud will be 35 next month but shows no need to kick on. scored six goals in 15 games earlier in the cam- lands, scoring twice and putting on some sign of letting up in the twilight of his career. paign, but his injury troubles did not stop the Viola impressive displays as a wing-back in Frank de With fellow ageing star Zlatan Ibrahimovic out Nicolas Gonzalez (Fiorentina) shelling out 23 million euros to get the winger. Boer’s team. with a knee injury, Giroud has impressed in pre- Gonzalez joins Fiorentina as a Copa America He got off to a promising start in last week’s 4- Inter announced the signing of Dumfries from season, scoring three times and looking the same winner with Argentina and his addition provides 0 Cup thumping of Serie C outfit Cosenza, laying PSV Eindhoven on the same day as Dzeko’s arrival bustling presence that stepped up for Chelsea on support for star forward Dusan Vlahovic, who has on Vlahovic’s tap-in opener before doubling the from Roma, and while Dzeko will be tasked with a number of key occasions. been an Inter target after scoring 21 times in Serie lead with a smart header from a corner. —AFP Donnarumma hopes move to Italian Euro 2020 PSG will make him ‘stronger’ winner Locatelli ROME: Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Don- narumma says he left AC Milan after eight joins Juventus years with the Serie A side for Paris Saint- Germain as he needed a change “to develop, ROME: Italy’s Euro 2020 winner Manuel Lo- to improve and to become stronger”. The 22- catelli has joined Juventus on a two-year loan year-old joined PSG on a free transfer after deal from Sassuolo, the Serie A giants an- helping Italy to the Euro 2020 title where he nounced on Wednesday. Midfielder Locatelli was named player of the tournament. Reflect- scored twice in five games as the Azzurri lifted ing on his time in Milan, Donnarumma told the European Championship trophy in July. yesterday’s Corriere dello Sport: “I stayed Juve will have to sign Locatelli permanently eight years there, it was my home, I have mag- in 2023 for 37.5 million euros ($43.8 million), nificent memories. “I’ll always be a fan of the which includes bonuses, after his loan deal ends. club. You can’t brush aside eight years, but I The 23-year-old made his top-flight debut with needed a change to develop, improve and be- Manuel Locatelli come stronger. I felt the need for a change of AC Milan in 2016 after coming through Ata- SAINT-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Italian scene, for a new reality.” lanta’s academy before joining Sassuolo two goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma takes part in a train- Donnarumma will be in competition for a years later. But they are hoping to hit back under return- ing session at the Camp des Loges Paris Saint-Germain place in Mauricio Pochettino’s team with expe- “In addition to his goals, Manuel is an ab- ing coach Massimiliano Allegri, who won five football club’s training ground in Saint-Germain-en-Laye rienced Costa Rican Keylor Navas. “That’s an solute quality and security in midfield, bringing straight Serie A crowns from 2015-2019 with yesterday. —AFP extra motivation, something which intrigues a level of class that few have,” Juve said. “The Juve. The ‘Old Lady’ were also given a boost on me,” he told the paper. Yet to make his debut giant steps he has made in the top flight, after a Tuesday when Cristiano Ronaldo blasted re- for his new club he is fully aware his arrival at yet to figure in the competition. Donnarumma period at Atalanta and Milan’s youth teams, only ports claiming he could return to Real Madrid. the Parc des Princes is expected to help PSG moved to Paris on a five-year deal. During his confirms this.” Locatelli could make his Juve debut at Udinese in their pursuit of a first ever Champions six seasons with the Rossoneri, the Naples- He will join his Euro 2020 teammates on Sunday in their first league game of the season. League title. born goalkeeper made 215 appearances in Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Federico He impressed in Italy’s opening two matches of “Last season the club didn’t win Ligue 1 Serie A along with 16 in Europa League Chiesa and Federico Bernardeschi at the Allianz Euro 2020, but did not start again after making but the real objective is the other one — the matches and 12 in the Italian Cup (including Stadium. Juventus saw their run of nine successive way when Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Champions League,” said the ‘keeper who has the 2016 and 2018 finals). —AFP Serie A titles ended last season by Inter Milan. Verratti returned from injury. —AFP.