Inter Milan completed the signing of forwards Mauro Zarate and Diego Forlan on transfer deadline day yesterday while AS Roma responded to their early Europa League exit last week with four new acquisitions.

Inter, who recently sold Samuel Eto'o to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala and sent Goran Pandev on loan to Napoli, snapped up Argentine Zarate on a year's loan from Lazio and rubber-stamped the deal to buy Uruguay forward Forlan from Atletico Madrid.

"I think we have a very strong squad," president Massimo Moratti told the club's website (www.inter.it). "There are new players to look at who will surely bring excitement."

American-owned Roma gave notice of their scudetto intentions by signing Bosnia midfielder Miralem Pjanic from Olympique Lyon for 11 million euros (US$15.83 million) and Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago on loan from Real Madrid.

They also swooped for Danish defender Simon Kjaer from VfL Wolfsburg and Italian striker Fabio Borini from Parma on a one-year loan.

New Spanish coach Luis Enrique, booed after substituting Francesco Totti in his first home match in charge, had already overseen the arrival of Bojan Krkic from Barcelona, Pablo Osvaldo from Espanyol and Argentine midfielder Erik Lamela from River Plate.

In other late deals champions AC Milan signed Palermo's Italian midfielder Antonio Nocerino on a five-year deal while Parma picked up Italian striker Stefano Floccari from Lazio.