Serie A Transfer Update : Part 1 (Papastathopoulos, Adriano, D'Agostino, Toni)

Sokratis Papastathopoulos (from Genoa to Milan, £4.2m)

Papastathopoulos is a genuinely top quality central defender and Milan will be delighted at the fee for which he was signed. The Greek defender has won many fans of late with his no-nonsense defending. Recent reports have suggested however, that Papastathopoulos may be employed in his secondary role as a right-back at Milan with Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva expected to retain their places in the centre. Sokratis' ox-like strength combined with gritty determination and impressive pace mean the 22-year-old is sure to be a real hit at the San Siro.

Adriano (Flamengo to Roma, free)

Here's one for the 'Signings of the Summer' folder. The powerhouse striker has had well documented problems with weight, alcohol and authority. At one time, Adriano was considered the next incarnation or Ronaldo. Inter Milan signed Adriano in 2001 and l'imperatore was one of the players who really took Inter back to the pinnacle of Italian football. He had spells at Fiorentina and Parma before returning to Inter in 2004. After signing a new 5 year contract with Inter in 2005, Adriano's focus seemed to waver from football and there were many reports of him spending more time in the bars and clubs of Milan than the training ground. Adriano's weight noticeably ballooned and he was sent to Sao Paulo in 2007 to re-focus on football. He returned to inter for the 2008/2009 season and was back to his old best. Adriano and Inter parted terms mutually after Adriano didn't return from Brazil after going on International duty. Despite 19 goals in 31 games for Flamengo last season, Adriano was not included in Brazil's World Cup squad - seen as too much of a risk by Dunga. Roma picked up Adriano on a free this summer after his 1 year contract with Flamengo expired. He was presented with the number 8 shirt and could partner Vucinic or compatriot Baptista up-front. Adriano will be keen to produce his best football for Roma - who finished just 2 points behind his former club Inter last season.

Gaetano D’Agostino (From Udinese to Fiorentina, £8m)

D'Agostino is basically one of those Italian central midfield passing machines. The poor mans Andrea Pirlo, perhaps. He was a staple in the Udinese team for the last few seasons but the 28-year-old has never been able to make an impact Internationally - earning just 5 caps. It will be interesting to see how Fiorentina use D'Agostino - especially considering the current captain is Riccardo Montolivo. It's possible that Montolivo will sit deep and D'Agostino will be given more of a creative license but are the two too similar to co-exist?

Luca Toni (From Bayern Munich to Genoa, Free)

After a falling out with Louis van Gaal, Luca Toni was given a free transfer from Bayern Munich with Genoa acting quickly to secure his services. At 33 years old, it's unsurprising that Toni would want one last spell in his homeland before possibly hanging up the boots. Genoa will be hoping the big target man can form a classic little-and-large partnership with Rodrigo Palacio as the push for a return to the Europa League.