Whilst many fans are focusing their attention on what’s happening in the English Premier League there’s also been substantial new developments over in Italy, too. Serie A is widely considered to be one of the ‘elite’ top divisions in European football, and now, they’ve helped their claim of being the number one overall with the recent transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Juventus.

It was a move that came out of nowhere in many ways, and yet now that it’s gone through, it almost feels like it was destined to happen all along. One of the biggest domino effects from the move has been the future of Gonzalo Higuain, with the forward coming to terms with the fact that he’s no longer going to be the top dog with The Old Lady. Despite the initial disappointment, though, it seems as if the Argentine has picked himself up, dusted himself off and prepared himself for the next step in his football journey.

That next step looks set to be a move across Serie A to AC Milan, who have swept in ahead of Chelsea and emerged as the leading contenders to take Higuain away from Juventus on loan. Gonzalo is said to be having his medical anytime now, as he moves closer and closer to joining his third high profile Italian club. Whilst that’s all that most fans are interested in, though, there are a few other stories around the country that are worth talking about.

Lazio is a team that will be hellbent on making a statement in the wake of how last season ended, and they’ve showcased that in the summer transfer window.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZBUGk7hHRo

They recently completed the double transfer of Joaquin Correa and Milan Badelj from Sevilla and Fiorentina respectively, rubber stamping their intentions to invade the Serie A title picture in the next few years.

Alas, the team that ousted them to the fourth Champions League spot, Inter Milan, are also strengthening in a big way with Sime Vrsaljko arriving from Atletico Madrid recently. The defender will add both depth and quality to their ranks as they prepare for their return to club football’s biggest stage, and given their determination and tenacity this season, it’ll be interesting to see how the Milan Derby shapes up if AC Milan does end up securing Higuain’s signature.

Ronaldo Vieira moving from Leeds United to Sampdoria is the biggest other story of the day, but as we move back towards Higuain’s move, it’s interesting to see that he’s going out of his way to almost ‘prove a point’ to Juventus.

Whilst the money they’ve offered him probably played a big role in his decision, he clearly still has a passion for Serie A and wants to showcase what he can do at this level. The appeal of the Premier League may have been something that he considered briefly, but when you consider just how overwhelmingly successful he’s been in this division over the years, it really is a no-brainer regarding what he should do.

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