Inter enter the new Serie A season as clear favourites to retain their title, but the opening week has been defined as much by transfer activity as by preparation on the pitch. The signing of Curtis Jones from Liverpool, confirmed on August 19 for a fee of 35 million euros, completes a midfield rebuild that began with the sale of Davide Frattesi to Lazio. As GOAL reports, Jones had been the club's primary midfield target since January, and director Piero Ausilio had made no secret of his admiration for the Liverpool midfielder. His arrival gives Cristian Chivu the versatility in the centre of the park he had been seeking all summer.

The business does not end there. With the transfer window still open, GOAL's coverage highlights a fresh wave of speculation linking captain Lautaro Martinez with Barcelona, who are reportedly willing to offer more than 100 million euros. The timing is awkward, arriving days before the season begins, and it threatens to become the defining storyline of the final days of the window.

On the pitch, Inter closed pre-season with a 1-0 win over Real Betis, with new signing John Stones scoring on his debut, as GOAL noted. Lautaro and Marcus Thuram, both returning late from the World Cup, remain doubts to start against Monza on August 22, according to GOAL. Mkhitaryan is suspended for that fixture. Inter won their 21st Serie A title last season by 11 points, and Chivu's squad, further strengthened by the arrivals of Stones, Spence and now Jones, begins the new campaign with confidence and genuine depth.