Ademola Lookman was the most expensive Serie A sale of the 2026 January transfer window, but Napoli could match the same fee if Lorenzo Lucca’s loan move to Nottingham Forest is made permanent. Here is a reminder of the most expensive departures of the winter transfer window. 

The Serie A transfer window came to a close at 19.00 GMT on Monday, February 2. Lookman was the second most expensive deadline day transfer in the world with his €35m switch from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid (not including bonuses). 

•  Read more: Top 10 most expensive Serie A signings of January transfer window

Lazio were among the most active Serie A sides during the January transfer window, and raised just shy of €60m through their sales of Taty Castellanos to West Ham and Matteo Guendouzi to Fenerbahce. 

Lorenzo Lucca is an interesting case, as he was technically bought outright by Napoli from Udinese, and then sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest with an option to buy. His two moves this month could turn out to be worth in excess of €60m.

Here are the most expensive permanent sales of the January transfer window, and a list of the most significant loans with option to buy. 

Most expensive permanent sales of Serie A January transfer window 

1. Ademola Lookman: Atalanta → Atletico Madrid €35m
2. Taty Castellanos: Lazio → West Ham €29m
3. Matteo Guendouzi: Lazio → Fenerbahce €28m
4. Lorenzo Lucca: Udinese → Napoli €26m
5. Tammy Abraham: Roma → Besiktas €15m

Notable loans with options to buy

1. Lorenzo Lucca: Napoli → Nottingham Forest on loan with €35m option to buy
2. Noa Lang: Napoli → Galatasaray on loan with €28m option to buy
3. Douglas Luiz: Juventus → Aston Villa with €25m option to buy
4. Christos Mandas: Lazio → AFC Bournemouth on loan with €18.5m option to buy
5. Daniel Maldini: Atalanta → Lazio on loan with €15.5m option to buy
6. Marco Brescianini: Atalanta → Fiorentina on loan with €10m option to buy

Lorenzo Lucca, Giacomo Raspadori and Robinio Vaz were among the most expensive Serie A signings during the 2026 January transfer window, which saw the Italian top-flight sides spend a total of €243.49m over the last 31 days. 

The January transfer deadline struck at 19.00 GMT on Monday evening. Milan failed to get a deal over the line for Jean-Philippe Mateta, but there was still plenty of action on the final day of the window, including Juventus’s signing of Emil Holm from Bologna, Joao Mario moving in the opposite direction, and Roma’s acquisition of Bryan Zaragoza from Bayern Munich. 

The full month brought several new additions, including new Roma striker Donyell Malen, Napoli’s acquisition of Giovane and the return of Giacomo Raspadori from Atletico Madrid. 

Technically, Lorenzo Lucca, who left Napoli to join Nottingham Forest in January, was the most expensive Serie A signing this month. That is because the Italy international was still on loan with an option to buy at Napoli, and the Partenopei had to exercise that option to buy clause from Udinese before sending him to the Premier League. 

Coming in at joint-second are Giacomo Raspadori, who joined Atalanta after six months in LaLiga with Atletico Madrid, and Robinio Vaz, who joined Roma in a permanent deal from Olympique de Marseille. 

Below are the top 10 most expensive permanent signings from the 2026 January transfer window in Serie A. 

Top 10 most expensive Serie A signings in January 2026

1. Lorenzo Lucca: Udinese → Napoli €26m*

=2. Giacomo Raspadori: Atletico Madrid → Atalanta €22m

=2. Robinio Vaz: Olympique de Marseille → Roma €22m

4. Kenneth Taylor: Ajax → Lazio €16.85m

5. Petar Ratkov: RB Salzburg → Lazio €13m

6. Adrian Lahdo: Hammarby → Como: €11.94m

7. Darryl Bakola: Olympique de Marseille → Sassuolo €10m

8. Ismael Kone: Olympique de Marseille → Sassuolo €10m*

9. Rafiu Durosinmi: Viktoria Plzen → Pisa €9m

10. Alphadjo Cisse: Hellas Verona → Milan €8m

Fees according to transfermarkt.co.uk

* denotes pre-existing option to buy

Lazio were the biggest spenders in Serie A during the winter transfer window, while Juventus were the only club not to spend a penny as they secured Jeremie Boga and Emil Holm on free loan deals.

The winter transfer window for Serie A clubs ended on Monday, February 2, so it’s time to review the activity of every team in Italy’s top flight, including how much they spent over the last month.

Serie A: Lazio the biggest spenders in 2026 winter transfer window

Lazio had been imposed a transfer embargo during the summer transfer window, so it is not entirely surprising to see the Biancocelesti spend more than any other club in Italy during the January window.

Furthermore, Maurizio Sarri saw two regular starters, Matteo Guendouzi and Valentin Castellanos, leave the Olimpico last month, so the Bianconcelesti had to sign replacements in central midfield and attack.

As reported by Transfermarkt, Milan spent €8m to sign promising Verona midfielder Alphadjo Cissè, 19, who was then sent to Serie B side Catanzaro on loan.

The Rossoneri also signed Niclas Fullkrug from West Ham, on loan with an option to buy.

Ranking: Biggest Serie A spenders in the 2026 winter transfer window

Lazio 36.5m

Napoli 31.5m

Roma 26m

Atalanta 22m

Sassuolo 20m

Pisa 18.3m

Como 17.4m

Verona 13.5m

Genoa 10m

Milan 8m

Cremonese 7.9m

Udinese 7.5m

Bologna 7m

Lecce 5.6m

Inter 3.5m

Cagliari 3.5m

Fiorentina 2.5m

Parma 2m

Torino 800k

Juventus 0m

Every winter, Italian clubs scramble to try to find the players who can make a mid-season difference. Giancarlo Rinaldi gives out the grades for their efforts this year.

Only a fool would try to assess the potential impact of acquisitions that have barely had a chance to play for their new employer,s but here we go again. It is worth remembering that it can sometimes be the players that you move on or keep who can be as important as the ones you bring in. With that in mind, here are the marks out of 10 for all 20 Serie A sides this winter window.

Atalanta 6/10 – In the end it probably boils down to whether you think Giacomo Raspadori plus a handsome profit is worth losing Ademola Lookman for. The ex-Napoli man looks sharp already while the departures of Daniel Maldini and Marco Brescianini may reduce the depth of the squad but should not cause major damage.

Bologna 5.5/10 – A bit of a bland market that looks unlikely to see an upturn in their midtable form. The effective swap of Emil Holm for Joao Mario with Juventus looks a balanced enough trade, while Simon Sohm will need to show an improvement on his Fiorentina form to convince that he was worth losing Giovanni Fabbian for.

Cagliari 6.5/10 – Sometimes it is not about who you buy or sell but who you keep and hanging on to a hot property like young Marco Palestra could be key to the Sardinians’ survival, which is looking more and more likely. The actual incomings and outgoings probably fall under the category of “time will tell” when it comes to their effectiveness.

Como 5/10 – On paper, at least, a little bit underwhelming for a side with such financial backing, but their eye for talent could well mean Swedish teenager Adrian Ladho is one to watch. Keeping hold of their best players – with Martin Baturina in particular attracting attention – was an achievement, but the club has sufficient wealth to say no to all but the biggest deals.

Cremonese 6/10 – None of their arrivals look like setting Serie A alight but they are all proven performers. Milan Djuric will give them a different option in attack while Youseff Maleh, Morten Thorsby and Sebastiano Luperto are well-known quantities who can surely ensure the work already done towards survival continues.

Fiorentina 5.5/10 – The best part of the Viola transfer market was probably getting rid of a number of the summer signings that did not work out including Simon Sohm, Edin Dzeko and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia. They have added width with Manor Solomon and Jack Harrison but there was no real big name to fire hopes of rocketing back up the table.

Genoa 7/10 – As a fully signed-up member of the Tommaso Baldanzi fan club, this mark is probably more in hope than expectation. Daniele De Rossi has already put the fight into the Grifone, but the talented Roma man could add that dash of quality which will make their survival fight a more stylish one than it has been so far.

Inter 5/10 – We have what we hold is an understandable approach from the Nerazzurri but not the kind of thing to get fans delighted. The purchase of Yanis Massolin is an exciting one but clearly one for the future as the young French midfielder will remain on loan at Modena, where he has shone in Serie B.

Juventus 5/10 – There was plenty of smoke but not much substance to the Bianconeri’s transfer window work with the arrivals of Emil Holm and Jeremie Boga hardly the stuff to get pulses racing. Maybe it could be argued that a recent upturn in form shows they did not need to force the issue but it will still disappoint the fans.

Lazio 5.5/10 – The Biancocelesti have been busy after having their transfer ban lifted with Kenneth Taylor already looking like a smart signing. The losses of Matteo Guendouzi and Taty Castellanos leave gaps to be filled but the biggest story was probably Alessio Romagnoli’s switch to Al-Sadd falling through due to a document mix-up, which is a bit embarrassing.

Lecce 5.5/10 – They will have to hope that they have found a couple of gems in a signing basket, including Omri Gandelman, Oumar Ngom and Sadik Fofana. The good news is that they have managed that in the past, so a repeat is not out of the question. Walid Cheddira is more of a known quantity and gives them options up front.

Milan 5/10 – Another one of Italy’s bigs to be linked with plenty of players but, in the end, they only managed a couple of arrivals. Niclas Fullkrug gives a focal point to their attack while teenager Alphadjo Cissè is definitely interesting. But the collapse of a deal for Jean-Philippe Mateta felt pretty much typical of their efforts.

Napoli 5/10 – Add their name to the list of top teams who will have left their fans feeling cheated this January. Lorenzo Lucca goes to England for a nice bundle of cash – at least potentially – while the problematic Noa Lang finds a new home. Young Verona forward Giovane and Alisson Santos from Sporting CP will at least enjoy a move up the table thanks to their transfers.

Parma 6.5/10 – It will be a battle to stay afloat but they have added some quality to their fight with Hans Nicolussi Caviglia likely to enjoy a better time than he did in Florence. Gabriel Strefezza adds a dash of unpredictability and excitement while the loss of Hernani and Mathias Lovik will hardly be felt much at all.

Pisa 4.5/10 – They had to roll the dice and they definitely have but what number will come up remains to be seen. Having got rid of Alberto Gilardino as coach, they have at least got a goal already from new man Rafiu Durosinmi. Samuel Iling-Junior knows Serie A well enough but seems unlikely to produce enough to drag them to safety.

Roma 7.5/10 – Donyell Malen may be the signing who has made the most immediate impact this winter with some eye-catching moments already. Robinio Vaz is one of the biggest investments of the window and certainly does not seem to lack character. Tommaso Baldanzi leaves having found little space while Leon Bailey was dogged by injury in his short spell in the capital.

Sassuolo 5.5/10 – Whatever the question was, can the answer possibly have been M’Bala Nzola? The Angolan was far from thrilling at Pisa but maybe he can thrive in surroundings where the pressure of potential relegation is a little bit less intense. Their other new faces are intriguing but not necessarily of immediate use.

Torino 6/10 – A decent window that will surely help the Granata to enjoy another season of survival – if not a lot more. Kristjan Asllani and Cyril Ngonge made little impression between them so it will be up to Matteo Prati and Luca Marianucci to surpass them which, in truth, should really not be too hard.

Udinese 6/10 – The revolving door at the Stadio Friuli is rarely still and there were more heading out than in this winter. Branimir Mlacic and Juan Arizala definitely fall into the players with potential category and will look to make their mark while Iker Bravo and Sandi Lovric leave due to a lack of playing time. Saba Goglichidze ensures another window sees a move between the club and Watford.

Verona 5/10 – Their coach is gone but for a club with a need of a jolt, was this transfer session sufficient? It will be exciting to see another Scot give Serie A a go in the shape of Hibs’ record sale Kieron Bowie but he will surely have his work cut out to turn things around. Sandi Lovric should do a job while Pol Lirola at least knows Italy even if he has never exactly impressed.

@ginkers

The winter transfer window in Serie A is over, and Football Italia takes a look at all the deals completed over the last month.

Click here to find out every completed transfer on the January deadline day

Atalanta

In: Raspadori (Atletico Madrid).
Out: Brescianini (Fiorentina), Maldini (Lazio), Lookman (Atletico Madrid).

Bologna

In: Helland (Brann), Sohm (Fiorentina), Joao Mario (Juventus), Badori (Berekum Chelsea)
Out: Fabbian (Fiorentina), Sulemana (Cagliari), Immobile (Paris Fc), Holm (Juventus).

Cagliari

In: Sherri (Frosinone), Sulemana (Bologna), Dossena (Como), Albarracin (Boston River), Raterink (De Graafschap), Mawassa (Nantes).
Out: Radunovic (Spezia), Rog (end of contract), Cavuoti (Bari), Di Pardo (Sampdoria), Prati (Torino), Luperto (Cremonese).

Como

In: Tornqvist (Mjallby), Lahdo (Hammarby)
Out: Verdi (Sudtirol), Sala (Avellino), Dossena (Cagliari), Posch (Mainz).

Cremonese

Int: Djuric (Parma), Maleh (Lecce), Thorsby (Genoa), Luperto (Cagliari), Bagordo (Empoli).
Out: Sernicola (Spezia), Valoti (Spezia), Vazquez (Belgrano), Sarmiento (Middlesbrough), Johnsen (Palermo).

Fiorentina

In: Solomon (Tottenham), Brescianini (Atalanta), Harrison (Leeds), Fabbian (Bologna), Rugani (Juventus).
Out: Infantino (Argentinos Juniors), Martinelli (Sampdoria), Pablo Marì (Al-Hilal), Dzeko (Schalke 04), Sohm ( Bologna), Richardson (Copenaghen), Nicolussi Caviglia (Parma).

Genoa

In: Bijlow (Feyenoord), Zatterstrom (Sheffield United), Baldanzi (Roma), Amorim (Alverca).
Out: Carboni (Racing), Venturino (Roma), Fini (Frosinone), Stanciu (end of contract), Gronbaek (end of loan).

Inter

In: Jakirovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Massolin (Modena).
Out: Palacios (Estudiantes).

Juventus

In: Boga (Nice), Holm (Bologna), Licina (Bayern Monaco).
Out: Rouhi (Carrarese), Joao Mario (Bologna), Rugani (Fiorentina), Pedro Felipe (Sassuolo).

Lazio

In: Ratkov (Salzburg), Taylor (Ajax), Motta (Reggiana), Maldini (Lazio), Przyborek (Pogon).
Out: Castellanos (West Ham), Guendouzi (Fenerbahce), Mandas (Bournemouth), Vecino (Celta Vigo)

Lecce

In: Gandelman (Gent), Fofana (Grazer), Ngom (Estrela Amadora), Cheddira (Sassuolo).
Out: Rafia (Esperance Tunisi), Guilbert (end of contract), Kaba (Nantes), Maleh (Cremonese), Morente (end of contract).

Milan

In: Fullkrug (West Ham).

Out: –

Napoli

In: Giovane (Verona), Alisson Santos (Sporting CP).
Out: Lucca (Nottingham Forest), Lang (Galatasaray), Marianucci (Torino), Ambrosino (Modena).

Parma

In: Scarlato (River Plate), F. Carboni (Empoli), Nicolussi Caviglia (Fiorentina), Elphege (Grenoble), Strefezza (Olympiakos)
Out: Hernani (Monza), Lovik (Trabzonspor), Begic (Sampdoria), Guaita (end of contract), Djuric (Cremonese), Cutrone (Monza).

Pisa

Im: Durosinmi (Viktoria Plzen), Bozhinov (Antwerp), Loyola (Independiente), Stojilkovic (Cracow), Iling Junior (Aston Villa).
Out: Esteves (Bari), Bonfanti (Spezia), Nzola (Sassuolo), Lusuardi (Reggiana), Buffon (Pontedera).

Roma

In: Robinio Vaz (Marseille), Malen (Aston Villa), Venturino (Genoa), Zaragoza (Bayern Monaco).
Out: Bove (Watford), Bailey (Aston Villa), Baldanzi (Genoa).

Sassuolo

In: Nzola (Pisa), Garcia (Marseille), Pedro Felipe (Juventus), Bakola (Marseille).
Out: Cheddira (Lecce), Pierini (Sampdoria)

Torino

In: Obrador (Benfica), Prati (Cagliari), Marianucci (Napoli), Kulenovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Ewurum (Valletta FC), Ebosse (Udinese), Nascimento (Sporting CP).
Out: Asllani (Besiktas), Ngonge (Espanyol).

Udinese

In: Arizala (Independiente Medellín), Mlacic (Hajduk Split)
Out: Palma (Sampdoria), Iker Bravo (Las Palmas), Lovric (Verona), Ebosse (Torino), Rui Modesto (Palermo), Goglichidze (Watford).

Verona

In: Isaac (Atletico Mineiro), Arthur Borghi (Corinthians), Lirola (Marsiglia), Lovric (Udinese), Bowie (Hibernian), Edmundsson (Wisla Plock).
Out: Giovane (Napoli), Kastanos (Aris Limassol).

Article under update

Como squeezed a last-gasp deal just under the deadline, investing circa €10m in Swedish talent Adrian Lahdo from Hammarby.

The Lariani were active right to the final moment of the Italian transfer window, which has now closed at 19.00 GMT (20.00 CET).

You can check how the final day unfolded with our transfer liveblog.

Como last-minute deal for Lahdo

It had seemed as if they might not get the paperwork completed in time, but the contract was registered with the Lega Serie A, having only moments to spare.

According to Sky Sport Italia, the investment is worth circa €10m for the player who only turned 18 in December.

A product of the Hammarby youth academy, the teenage midfielder will join Como and work with coach Cesc Fabregas.

The Serie A high fliers also completed a few other deals on deadline day, as Patrick Cutrone moved to Monza on loan, Fellipe Jack to Catanzaro, Tommaso Fumagalli to Reggiana and Jacopo Simonetta to Siracusa.

The January transfer window in Serie A is closed, and Football Italia lists all the completed transfers on deadline day.

Click here to find out every deal completed in Serie A the January transfer window.

The winter transfer window for Serie A clubs shut today at 20:00 CET (19:00 GMT). As usual, it was a hectic day during which many Serie A clubs confirmed purchases and departures.

See how it unfolded on the liveblog.

Juventus confirmed Emil Holm’s initial loan move from Bologna, while Joao Mario joined the Rossoblu on a temporary transfer until the end of the season.

Juventus have also sent Daniele Rugani from Fiorentina on loan with an option to buy.

Roma welcomed their third attacking reinforcement in Bryan Zaragoza on loan with an option to buy from Bayern Munich. The Giallorossi had previously welcomed Donyell Malen from Aston Villa and Robinio Vaz from Olympique Marseille.

Napoli announced Brazilian winger Alisson Santos from Sporting CP.

Parma have also received attacking reinforcement with ex-Como winger Gabriel Strefezza, while Atalanta parted ways with Ademola Lookman, sending the Nigeria international to Atletico Madrid on a permanent €40m transfer.

Below are all the major transfers completed by Serie A clubs on deadline day.

2026 winter transfer window: Serie A deals completed on deadline day

Enzo Ebosse from Udinese to Torino via Verona (loan)

Alphadjo Cissè From Milan to Catanzaro via Verona (loan)

Tommaso Corazza from Bologna to Cesena (loan)

Nicola Pintus from Cagliari to Cosenza (loan)

Giuseppe Ambrosino from Napoli to Modena (loan)

Andrias Edmundsson to Verona from Wisla Plock (permanent €2.5m)

Mateus Lusuardi from Pisa to Reggiana (loan)

Laurs Skjellerup from Sassuolo to Spezia (loan)

Felipe Jack from Como to Catanzaro (loan)

Emil Holm to Juventus from Bologna (loan with €15m option to buy)

Joao Mario to Bologna from Juventus (loan)

Louis Buffon from Pisa to Pontedera (loan)

Leonardo Buta from Udinese to Rio Ave (loan)

Morten Thorsby to Cremonese from Genoa (permanent €2.5m )

Daniele Rugani to Fiorentina from Juventus (loan with option to buy for €2m)

Dennis Johnsen from Cremonese to Palermo (permanent €3m)

Gabriel Strefezza to Parma from Olympiacos (loan with option to buy)

Bryan Zaragoza to Roma from Bayern Munich (loan with option to buy)

Ulisses Garcia to Sassuolo from Marseille (loan with option to buy)

Alisson Santos to Napoli from Sporting CP (loan with option to buy)

Pedro Felipe to Sassuolo from Juventus NextGen (loan)

Ademola Lookman from Atalanta to Atletico Madrid (permanent €40m)

Branimir Mlacic to Udinese from Hajduk Split (permanent €4.5m)

Samuel Iling Junior to Pisa from Aston Villa (loan)

Darryl Bakola to Sassuolo from Marseille (permanent €10m)

Sebastiano Luperto to Cremonese from Cagliari (permanent €4.6m)

Alberto Cerri from Como to Cesena (undefined)

Nicholas Pierini from Sassuolo to Sampdoria (loan)

Adrian Lahdo to Como from Hammarby (permanent €18m)

Yanis Massolin to Inter from Modena (permanent €8m, then back to Modena on loan)

Rui Modesto from Udinese to Palermo (loan)

Saba Goglichidze from Udinese to Watford (loan)

Tete Morente end of Lecce contract

Matias Vecino from Lazio to Celta Vigo (permanent)

Article under update

Manchester City reportedly have Xabi Alonso, Enzo Maresca, and Cesc Fabregas as their three main candidates to replace Pep Guardiola.

According to the Telegraph, it is considered increasingly likely that this will be Guardiola’s final season in charge at the Etihad Stadium.

Some sources at Man City have seemingly denied this, but the Telegraph still suggest there are those who feel the club may already be planning for his potential replacement.

It won’t be easy for anyone to follow in Guardiola’s footsteps, with the Spanish tactician winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League and other major honours during his ten years in English football.

Manchester City looking at Xabi Alonso as potential Pep Guardiola replacement

It seems one name high up on City’s list is former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen manager Alonso, according to the Telegraph.

The 44-year-old was recently sacked by Real, but previously did superb work at Leverkusen, so will surely not be out of work for too long.

Maresca, meanwhile, could also be under consideration and is also available after being sacked by Chelsea a month ago.

The Italian tactician did a decent job at Stamford Bridge and his dismissal perhaps looked a bit harsh, so he could be a good option to consider, as he’s also someone who’s previously worked under Guardiola.

Cesc Fabregas an outsider for the Man City job?

The Telegraph also name an interesting possible candidate in the form of Como boss Fabregas, who is improving his reputation all the time.

More Stories / Latest News

Official: Chelsea announce two Deadline Day deals in quick succession

Feb 2 2026, 19:10

Deal approved: Liverpool transfer target’s big decision confirmed by Fabrizio Romano

Feb 2 2026, 18:49

“Deal completed” – Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal have secured “massive signing” on Deadline Day

Feb 2 2026, 18:29

The 38-year-old has over-achieved with Como and one imagines he’ll surely land a bigger job at some point, even if it arguably looks a bit soon for him to be taking on a challenge as big as replacing Guardiola.

City fans will probably be leaning towards Alonso at this stage, but also their main wish will surely be for Guardiola to stay for at least a year or two longer if possible.

The post Three main candidates eyed as Pep Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City this summer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

January has brought plenty of transfer action in Serie A, but teams now have less than 12 hours remaining to complete any potential business.

When does the Serie A transfer window close? 

The 2026 winter transfer window will close at 19.00 GMT (20.00 CET) on Monday, February 2 in Serie A. 

After that point, teams will no longer be able to register any new signings, but will still be able to sanction player departures to leagues whose transfer windows remain open. 

The Serie A window closes at the same time as most of Europe’s top five leagues. The windows in Serie A, the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 all align. 

The LaLiga window is set to close a few hours later at 22.59 GMT (23.59 CET). This is also the same for the Eredivisie. 

The Saudi Pro League window will also close on Monday night. 

The window in Portugal will remain open until Tuesday and the window in Turkey and Greece will remain open until Friday, February 6.

Cesc Fabregas tried to reassure a distraught Nico Paz, who was in tears after his last-gasp penalty was saved in a 0-0 with 10-man Atalanta. ‘I missed penalties, so did Lionel Messi and John Terry.’

The incident was the dramatic finale to a strange match, as Atalanta were reduced to 10 men in just the eighth minute when Honest Ahanor was sent off for a reaction foul, responding to Maximo Perrone’s provocation.

Giorgio Scalvini’s handling offence was spotted by VAR and a penalty awarded deep into stoppages, but Marco Carnesecchi parried the weak Nico Paz spot-kick.

Fabregas stands by upset Nico Paz

It means Nico Paz has now failed to convert all three penalties in his Serie A career, and the young man was in tears at the final whistle.

“I want to send a message of positivity to our young players,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“I don’t want to kill a young player over a penalty, I am not like that. I missed penalties, so did Leo Messi, so did John Terry.

“We are all with Nico, we are with the young players who have the courage to make a difference. A great champion must always lift his head back up when he hasn’t done well.”

Como had an incredible xG of 5.24 in this game, yet were unable to break down an Atalanta side with 10 men for practically the entire match.

Was it really more of a hindrance than an advantage playing against 10?

“Yes and no,” replied Fabregas.

“If I say that I prefer to play 11 against 11, I might be misunderstood, so I’ll just say that today the ball didn’t want to go in. It happens, this is football, but I also want to congratulate Atalanta, who wouldn’t give in, and played their game.

“Let’s say we were unlucky, but when their goalkeeper makes nine saves, it’s not like I or my assistant can come off the touchline and put the ball in the net. We created nine clear-cut scoring opportunities, so let’s lift our heads and keep going.”

This was a battle between Como in sixth place and Atalanta in seventh, so what are their ambitions for this season?

“The objective this term was to do better than last year, taking it one game at a time. We will always play our game, if we are up against Napoli, Fiorentina, Milan or Juventus.

“We played a lot in recent weeks, and were not accustomed to it, so we’ve got to just keep it going,” concluded Fabregas.

Atalanta were down to 10 for practically the entire match after an Honest Ahanor reaction foul, but Como were frustrated and Marco Carnesecchi saved Nico Paz’s last-gasp penalty.

This was a battle for ambition and Europe, as sixth hosted seventh in the Serie A table. Cesc Fabregas had won five of the last seven Serie A games and was fresh off a midweek 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Fiorentina. La Dea lost 1-0 to Union Saint-Gilloise, but still swept into the Champions League play-offs. Their Serie A form was better, picking up 13 points from five rounds. Ademola Lookman was left out pending a transfer.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was a dramatic start to the match, as within eight minutes Atalanta went down to 10 men. Maxi Perrone was saying something to Honest Ahanor, who reacted angrily by shoving him in the face during an off the ball incident. The referee did not see it, but showed the red card to Ahanor and the yellow to Perrone after consulting with his assistants.

Tasos Douvikas failed to make the most of an inspired Martin Baturina pass that sent him clear, while Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon also turned headers just off target.

Douvikas was sent through the middle by Baturina only to scuff the weak finish into the arms of Marco Carnesecchi, followed by Nico Paz doing the same on a Douvikas lay-off.

Carnesecchi parried a powerful Nico Paz snapshot and Giorgio Scalvini threw himself in the way to prevent Perrone tapping in the rebound.

Mergim Vojvoda also tested the Atalanta goalkeeper, while Carnesecchi rushed out to stop Jacobo Ramon turning in the deflected Marc-Oliver Kempf attempt at the near post.

Raoul Bellanova made his return after two months out with a thigh injury, and 10-man Atalanta nearly took the lead straight after the restart. Charles De Ketelaere sent Kamaldeen Sulemana on the counter, forcing a difficult one-handed Jean Butez save after sending Jacobo Ramon to ground.

Ramon had several chances at the other end, a header over and angled drive skimming the far post, but Douvikas was once again wasteful when he failed to connect with a Jayden Addai roll across from five yards.

Meanwhile, the Atalanta counter-attacks were getting more frequent, Nikola Krstovic nodding a Lorenzo Bernasconi cross wide.

Alvaro Morata was incorrectly flagged offside when his angled drive shaved a coat of paint off the far post, then his free header was straight at Carnesecchi after Giorgio Scalvini slipped.

Ederson drilled wide, but Carnesecchi was again decisive on Jacobo Ramon, who controlled a ball with his chest, let it bounce and flicked it around Bernasconi to force the save from point-blank range.

Deep into stoppages, VAR spotted that Scalvini had struck the ball with his hand when going to head it away and Como were awarded a penalty. Nico Paz had missed his previous two spot-kicks in Serie A, and made it three out of three when Carnesecchi parried his fairly weak and central attempt at the 98^th minute.

Como 0-0 Atalanta

Saved penalty: Nico Paz 98 (C)

01-02-2026 14:00

MatchDay 23

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Como

Atalanta

0 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Máximo Perrone		8'
		8'		Honest Ahanor
Jean Butez		36'
		44'		Marten de Roon

2nd half

Jayden Addai		69'
Lucas Da Cunha		80'
		86'		Raoul Bellanova
Nico Paz		90+8'
		90+7'		Nikola Krstovic

Match statistic

79

Possession %

21

28

Total shots

6

9

Shots on target

2

12

Shots off target

2

7

Blocked shots

2

7

Corners

1

1

Offsides

2

9

Fouls

11

Como

Atalanta

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

46'

20

Martin Baturina

Midfielder

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

58'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

58'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

87'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

47

Lorenzo Bernasconi

Defender

13

Éderson

Midfielder

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

46'

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

60'

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

18'

Substitutes

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

56

Cristiano De Paoli

Defender

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

58'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

58'

42

Jayden Addai

Attacker

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

80'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

87'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

31

Francesco Rossi

Goalkeeper

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

4

Isak Hien

Defender

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

18'

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

60'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

86'

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