The former Premier League names you didn’t know were playing in Serie A

Serie A is home to some of the biggest names in European football, all of which you can see live on DAZN this season as the home of Italy's top flight.

However, as well as the likes of Luka Modric, Kevin De Bruyne and Lautaro Martinez, there are also several recognisable names that used to ply their trade in the Premier League but are now regulars in Serie A. 

Here are eight players you may not have known who are playing in Italy this season. 

Nemanja Matic - Sassuolo 

One of Jose Mourinho’s favourite lieutenants, the Serbian played under the Special One for both Chelsea and Manchester United, where he won two league titles with the Blues.

After following Mourinho to Serie A and Roma in 2022, the midfielder then moved to France for spells with Rennes and Lyon. 

However, he returned to Italy this summer to sign for newly promoted Sassuolo, where the 37-year-old has been a key member of the team's solid start to their return to the top flight. 

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Matteo Guendouzi - Lazio

A midfielder who moved to Arsenal as a teenager and made a name for himself during a two-year spell in North London under Unai Emery, where he was part of a squad that reached the 2019 Europa Cup Final. 

Loan spells at Hertha Berlin and Marseille followed before the Frenchman made the move to the Stade Velodrome permanent, and would go on to make over 100 appearances for the club. 

In 2023, he joined Lazio in a loan deal and then permanently the following season, where he is now a regular starter under Maurizio Sarri. 

Che Adams - Torino 

Adams started his career in non-league before progressing up the football pyramid and eventually playing Premier League football for Southampton. 

He would go on to score 49 goals for the Saints, most of which came in the top flight, but opted to leave the South Coast last summer for a challenge in Serie A. 

The Scottish international joined Torino, and enjoyed a fruitful first campaign with the Turin club, scoring ten goals and continues to be a big part of Marco Boroni's side. 

Nicolo Zaniolo - Udinese 

The Italian forward was already a Europa Conference League winner with Roma and a Super Lig star when he arrived at Villa Park on loan from Galatasaray in 2022. 

He played 39 times for Aston Villa last season, scoring three goals, but his campaign was marred by his implication in a gambling scandal alongside national team teammate Sandro Tonoli. 

Fast forward to 2025, and Zaniolo is still a Galatasaray player, but has spent the last two seasons back on loan in Serie A. First with Atalanta and then Fiorentina, and now Udinese. 

Juan Cuadrado - Pisa

Cuadrado made his name in Serie A after arriving from Colombia in the late 2000s, first with Udinese and Lecce before moving to Fiorentina. 

His performances in Florence were enough to convince Chelsea to sign the winger in 2014, but he struggled to make an impression in West London. 

Despite winning the League Cup with the club, he'd only make 14 appearances for the Blues before moving back to Italy with Juventus, where he enjoyed the best spell of his career. 

He has since appeared for Inter, Atalanta and is now with Pisa. 

@SCPisa

Edin Dzeko - Fiorentina 

Still going at the age of 39, Dzeko was the other half of the Premier League's most famous title-winning moment, scoring the equaliser for Manchester City before Martin Tyler had any notions of screaming Aguero into the mic. 

That goal was one of 72 he scored for City as he collected two title medals before moving on to Roma and then Inter Milan. 

Last season saw a brief stop in Turkey with Fenerbahce, but the Bosnian legend moved back to Serie A this season and joined Fiorentina. 

Alberto Moreno - Como 

A left-back who moved to Anfield from Sevilla in 2014, who quickly drew comparisons to former Liverpool favourite John Arne Riise. 

Moreno arguably never hit the same heights as the Norwegian, but did spend five years on Merseyside and was part of the squad that won the Champions League in 2019. 

After Liverpool, the Spaniard played over a hundred times for Villarreal before moving to Como in 2023. 

Yerry Mina - Cagliari 

A Colombian who moved from South America to Barcelona in 2018, but it was on Merseyside where he established himself in European football. 

The defender signed for Everton just months after his Nou Camp switch and spent five seasons in the Toffees backline. 

He left when his contract expired in 2023 and moved to Serie A, first with Fiorentina, before finding a home with Cagliari. 

How to watch Serie A on DAZN

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