Sixteen Portuguese footballers are now playing in Italy's Serie A this season, making the Italian top flight the second-highest spender in Europe's last transfer window, behind only England's Premier League.
Rodrigo Mora, the 19-year-old creative and versatile midfielder who left FC Porto this summer, is having the biggest impact of the group and is being counted on as one of the main driving forces for Roma, the current leader of the Italian championship.
Rodrigo Mora's Move to Roma
Mora was left out of coach Francesco Farioli's plans at Porto, where Farioli consistently preferred Gabri Veiga in midfield, and he authorised his departure this summer from the club where he came through the youth academy.
The transfer, described as complex and structured with several variants, was led by the agent Jorge Mendes and could ultimately be worth 50 million euros to FC Porto. Mora arrived in Rome as one of the club's great hopes and has already begun to shine under coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who took charge of Roma after years spent turning Atalanta into a regular in European competition.
Gonçalo Ramos Makes History at Milan
Gonçalo Ramos, also newly arrived in Italian football, became the most expensive player ever signed by AC Milan, one of Italy's most decorated clubs. Expectations are high, and he has found it harder to win over Milan's demanding supporters, known as the rossoneri.
Ramos is a clear pick of coach Ruben Amorim, who previously led Sporting Clube de Portugal before taking charge at Milan. The forward played the full 270 minutes across Milan's first three Serie A matches of the season and scored one goal.
Pedro Gonçalves Struggles at Fiorentina
Pedro Gonçalves, known as Pote and long one of Sporting Clube de Portugal's standout players, has had a difficult start since joining Fiorentina, the Florence-based club. Still searching for his best form, he has so far been used only as a substitute for a Fiorentina side currently bottom of Serie A.
Also on Fiorentina's books is João Mário, the former FC Porto right-back.
Three Portuguese Players at Monza
Monza, the club based in the Lombardy region, stands out for fielding three Portuguese players: Dany Mota, Gustavo Varela, who arrived from Benfica, and Ricardo Mangas, who left Sporting.
