It was a frenetic day at the ATA Executive Hotel in Milan on Wednesday as clubs from Italy’s top-flight desperately tried to put the finishing touches to their squads for the season ahead.

After a flurry of last minute activity, sporting directors across the peninsula can now head for some late summer sunshine before preparing for January when the window will re-open for business. In the meantime, Serie A Weekly takes a look at some of the best of the last minute bargains.

The most high profile signing on deadline day was that of Mauro Zarate from Lazio to Inter. The 24-year-old Argentinean international arrives at Appiano Gentile initially on a loan deal with a view to making the move permanent at the end of the current campaign. Staying in Milan, the champions put the finishing touch to their summer transfer campaign by taking Antonio Nocerino from Palermo for an undisclosed fee. The combative midfielder is seen by coach Massimiliano Allegri as an ideal replacement for Mathieu Flamini who suffered cruciate knee ligament damage in the summer and is out for up to five months.

It was also a busy day in the capital with Roma adding four late additions to their squad.  Midfielder Fernando Gago joins the Luis Enrique revolution from Real Madrid and 21-year-old Bosnian play-maker Miralem Pjanic arrives from Lyon. After a brief hold up, Danish defender Simon Kjaer also joins the giallorossi from Wolfsburg and former Swansea City striker Fabio Borini arrives in the capital on loan from Parma. Midfielder Matteo Brighi has left the club to join Atalanta on loan.

Genoa have taken striker Andrea Caracciolo on a co-ownership deal from Brescia but perhaps the biggest bonus on deadline day for the rossoblu was that striker Rorigo Palacio signed a contract extension at the club despite last minute offers from both Inter and Roma. Parma welcome striker Sergio Floccari to the Ennio Tardini on a loan deal with a view to a five million euro deal being completed at the end of the season. In addition to Matteo Brighi, Atalanta have also secured the services of Luca Cigarini. The 25-year-old midfielder returns to the peninsula after an unhappy spell in Spain with Sevilla and arrives on loan in Bergamo.

Napoli have strengthened their defence with the signing of  22-year-old Argentinean Ignacio Fideleff from Newells Old Boys for a deal thought to be in the region of two million euros. In Sardinia, Cagliari have taken the Portugese midfielder Rui Sampaio from Beira-Mar for an undisclosed fee whilst back on the mainland, Lecce have taken Juventus youngsters Cristian Pasquato and Manuel Giandonato. The two midfielders both arrive on loan.

In Tuscany, Siena added Argentinean striker Pablo Gonzalez to their ranks, the 26-year-old arriving on loan from Novara alongside club-mate , 20-year-old Serbian defender Milan Milanovic. Palermo, still reeling from the shock dismissal of coach Stefano Pioli, added 31-year-old Honduran midfielder Edgar Alvarez to their squad for an undisclosed fee from Bari.

Juventus, whose main summer business was completed well before the clock struck seven on Wednesday evening, did actually do some last minute shopping taking 18-year-old Ghanian midfielder Yussif Raman Chibsah from Serie B side Sassuolo for an undisclosed fee while Brazilian-born striker Amauri has turned down a move to French side Marseille.

So there we are, the summer sales are finally over. Now all we can hope for is a quick end to the ongoing players dispute and a return to watching what is for many, the best league in the world.