It was a mixed bag this weekend for Italian national teams, as the Azzurri drew 0-0 with the Czech Republic Friday in an important World Cup qualifier. Surprise, surprise, Mario Balotelli was a talking point as he was red carded in the match. Over the weekend, he explained himself, or tried to, via Twitter.

Meanwhile, the U-21 team advanced to the semifinals of the European Championship with a 4-0 victory over Israel. The dark cloud to this sunny day was an injury to Lorenzo Insigne. Read more from ESPN FC.

Speaking of ESPN, James Horncastle analyzes the top four transfer targets currently playing in Serie A. Not shockingly Cavani and Jovetic are #s 1 and 2, but the other two may be a bit more surprising.

Juventus succeeded this season based on some name veterans on the team. However, its youth system is critical to its success and some of the young players in their youth system are almost ready to make a name for themselves in the league.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, AC Milan is looking to add a little experience to their squad. According to Forza Italian Football, they have received a deadline from Bologna Alessandro Diamanti and a request for more money.

Transfer rumour of the Day: Speaking of AC Milan, Gazzetta dello Sport via 101 Great Goals reports that Manchester City are readying a €40m bid for young winger Stephan El Shaarawy. If Milan is going to do an offseason purge like last season, the 20 year old could be worth a fortune in transfer fees.

If you see a story you want to recommend for this series (which will run every business weekday), Tweet us @serieaweekly or @roberthayjr. This column will run mid-morning Eastern time.