A week or two ago, Inter Milan were clear title favourites. They had just replaced Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho with Rafael Benitez (and after the fiasco near the end of his tenure at Liverpool, he has not been given any control over transfers). But then they lost convincingly to Atletico Madrid in Monaco, before failing to score in the 0-0 draw with Bologna (for the first time in 19 games in that fixture). It seemed a world away from last season’s treble-winning side.

Meanwhile, AC Milan were apparently facing liquidity problems, so much so that they asked Genoa to buy Kevin-Prince Boeteng before loaning him for the season. Juventus spent heavily once again but wholesale changes will lead to a team full of players who are unfamiliar with each other’s style. Roma are also in an ongoing financial struggle, despite using future CL television income to sign top target Nicolas Burdisso, the Inter defender. Still, it seemed Inter would stroll to a sixth successive title despite a sluggish start.

That is until showman Silvio Berlusconi decided that he wanted a share of the limelight once again. The Italy Prime Minister has been under pressure from fans for tightening spending in recent years, despite spending roughly $1.5 billion on the club since taking over in 1986. His new financial policy at the club paralleled with the country tightening its own belt during the recession, for he could not spend lavishly when the country he runs has to make cuts.

He sensed the frustration in the fans and acted fast. He sent his right-hand man Adriano Galliani to Barcelona to acquire Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Suddenly the liquidity problems vanished as Galliani struck a deal that brought the outrageous asking price of €50m down to a season-long loan with a view to a €24m move next summer (with Ibra even taking a pay cut).

It was reminiscent of how he managed to sign (albeit out-of-form and overweight) Ronaldinho for a known-down price of £14.5m in 2008 (down from Manchester City’s offer of £25.5m). But in Ibrahimovic’s case, Galliani had signed a player at the top of his game. Then to send disgruntled Milan fans into paradise, a deal for Manchester City’s want-away Robinho was completed on transfer deadline day.

Galliani called the double signing “a great present to all the supporters from Silvio Berlusconi”. A cynic would argue that such lavish spending after years of frugality reveal a clear political motivation in the Italian Prime Minister, given that the publicity of the deals would lead to heavy coverage on national television, of which 90% is effectively controlled by Berlusconi’s various media businesses. For, those once calling for Berlusconi to leave were now singing his praises.

The big-name signings have created a buzz around Milan with expectations rising and ‘Ibra 11’ and ‘Robinho 70’ shirts flying off the shelves. At first glance, Milan’s spending indicates a serious attempt at winning the Scudetto, instead of relying on the declining 2007 Champions League-winning side. It is a far cry from the start of the summer where Boeteng and veteran defender Mario Yepes represented a Europa League spot at best. 

But for all the hype, clear criticisms can be made of such purchases. Robinho and Ibrahimovic are clearly run more by the id, psychologically speaking. They will demand to be made the star of the team, with Robinho in particular failing at both Real Madrid and Manchester City as he wasn’t the centre of attention (unlike at Santos). The new coach Massimiliano Allegri will have to spend time balancing the demands of those two, along with Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato and Pippo Inzaghi.

Something that could backfire spectacularly is the loaning out of Marco Borriello to title rivals Roma due to the arrival of Ibrahimovic. He has scored 33 Serie A goals in his last two seasons and could be the perfect focal point for an attacking trident in Claudio Ranieri’s side. It is likely that Allegri will play a 4-3-3 with Ibrahimovic as the central striker and the wide roles rotated between the three Brazilians, though how long this will keep the trio happy remains to be seen. Whether the attacking trident will track back effectively to cover a midfield and defence severely lacking in pace also remains to be seen.

And if Berlusconi interferes as he has done in the past with Ancelotti and Leonardo, Allegri may be forced to bow to the demands of the prime minister and play all four in tandem (he has already ordered Allegri to play with more than one up front). The midfield and defence requires fresh legs and has done so for a number of years. The reliance on the ageing Pirlo and the injury-prone Nesta is worrying, irrespective of their class.

Mathieu Flamini is yet to establish himself in the midfield after his Bosman transfer from Arsenal in 2008, despite his dynamism and physical qualities desperately needed in a slow Milan midfield. It could be that he along with Boeteng finally delivers this season and challenges Milan stalwarts Gennaro Gatusso and Massimo Ambrosini. At the back, only Thiago Silva adds a youthful presence.

But the focus of Berlusconi has been to sign the superstar rather than the sensible one. Though some of the transfers in recent years have shown an attempt to bring down the average squad age, the expensive contract extensions given to all members of the Champions League-winning side from 2007 placed a strain on the budget for the next few years and veteran players hardly likely to leave when on such decent wages at a big club.

It seems the club is also wary of change, signing veterans Oddo, Zambrotta and Abbiati to new deals (but on reduced wages) rather than looking for younger alternatives, most likely due to Berlusconi’s unconventional transfer policy. Allegri started his stint at Milan with a 4-0 dismantling of newly promoted Lecce, no mean feat given Milan’s recent tendency to lose supposedly easy games (such as the opening two games of 2008/09 against Bologna and Genoa and against Zurich last year). Ronaldinho has also lost weight and is approaching the kind of fitness he had in his prime at Barcelona, rediscovering pace to add to his already potent repertoire.

But with this late arrival of two superstars, the possible clash of egos and the promise of attacking intent, this season could see Milan present a strong challenge in the league and Europe. Or they could simply implode with a Real Madrid-esque collection of Galacticos. Berlusconi has laid down the marker, and the fans expectations have been raised wildly. The pressure is on for Massimiliano Allegri to deliver.