Inter captain Lautaro Martinez came off the bench to give Argentina a 2-1 comeback victory over England, sending them into the World Cup Final against Spain.

There were no Serie A players in the starting line-ups, but one who was born in Italy, as Giuliano Simeone came into the world when his father Diego was playing for Lazio.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, Como’s Nico Paz and Juventus-owned Nico Gonzalez were on the bench for the reigning champions. England made several changes, starting Inter-linked Djed Spence and Aston Villa wide man Morgan Rogers.

Marco Di Bello was the VAR, with Maurizio Mariani as the fourth official representing Italy.

It was, as expected, a scrappy affair with numerous fouls and arguments from the opening whistle. The first real chance saw John Stones nod wide from a free kick to the back post, while Enzo Fernandez saw his scorcher flash inches off target.

The first genuine save was at the dawn of the second half with Jordan Pickford parrying the Julian Alvarez effort low at the near post.

However, England opened the scoring when a low Morgan Rogers cross from the right found Anthony Gordon ready to tap in at the far stick.

ENGLAND HAVE THE OPENER!

Anthony Gordon puts the Three Lions ahead in the World Cup semi-final! pic.twitter.com/5fBlRcf1oI

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026

Argentina immediately threatened an equaliser with Alvarez, only to be denied by a stunning tackle from Inter-linked full-back Djed Spence, formerly of Genoa, and Enzo Fernandez then blasted over.

Nico Gonzalez of Juventus came off the bench and immediately knocked a dangerous ball back to be cleared by Stones, then Pickford got down for a great save on his glancing header.

Argentina poured forward and were unlucky to see an Alexis Mac Allister free header smack against the upright on Rodrigo De Paul’s cross.

Lautaro Martinez was finally introduced for the final 10 minutes, and a long-range Enzo Fernandez screamer was fingertipped over the bar.

Argentina’s siege finally paid off with a scorcher from Enzo Fernandez on the resulting short corner and Lionel Messi assist, smashing in from well outside the area.

“Enzo Fernandez has simply been setting his sights!”

A rocket of a strike from the midfielder draws Argentina level. pic.twitter.com/f5kUPkaP0a

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026

The momentum had shifted too much with England’s defensive attitude, and it cost them in added time, because after another Mac Allister effort came off the woodwork, Messi floated in the cross for Lautaro Martinez’s header. It was the Serie A Capocannoniere’s third goal of the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina are ahead!

A relentless spell of pressure sees Alexis Mac Allister hit the post before ANOTHER Lionel Messi assist sets up Lautaro Martinez to make it 2-1. pic.twitter.com/kVoNouFgKZ

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 15, 2026

England 1-2 Argentina

Gordon 55 (E), Enzo Fernandez 86 (A), Lautaro Martinez 92 (A)

15-07-2026 20:00

Semi-final

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

England

Argentina

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Elliot Anderson		37'
		42'		Lautaro Martínez

2nd half

		51'		Cristian Romero
Anthony Gordon (Assist: Morgan Rogers)		55'
		86'		Enzo Fernández (Assist: Lionel Messi)
		90+2'		Lautaro Martínez (Assist: Lionel Messi)
		90+4'		Rodrigo de Paul

Match statistic

36

Possession %

64

5

Total shots

15

2

Shots on target

5

1

Shots off target

7

2

Blocked shots

3

1

Corners

6

1

Offsides

3

11

Fouls

15

England

Argentina

Starting lineups

1

Jordan Pickford

Goalkeeper

25

Djed Spence

Defender

90'

5

John Stones

Defender

90'

6

Marc Guehi

Defender

24

Reece James

Defender

82'

4

Declan Rice

Midfielder

82'

8

Elliot Anderson

Midfielder

10

Jude Bellingham

Midfielder

18

Anthony Gordon

Attacker

72'

9

Harry Kane

Attacker

17

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

13

Cristian Romero

Defender

6

Lisandro Martínez

Defender

72'

26

Nahuel Molina

Defender

72'

3

Nicolás Tagliafico

Defender

81'

20

Alexis Mac Allister

Midfielder

24

Enzo Fernández

Midfielder

5

Leandro Paredes

Midfielder

64'

17

Giuliano Simeone

Attacker

72'

9

Julián Álvarez

Attacker

10

Lionel Messi

Attacker

Substitutes

14

Jordan Henderson

Midfielder

20

Noni Madueke

Attacker

7

Bukayo Saka

Attacker

13

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

23

James Trafford

Goalkeeper

19

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

12

Trevoh Chalobah

Defender

16

Kobbie Mainoo

Midfielder

21

Eberechi Eze

Attacker

2

Ezri Konsa

Defender

72'

15

Dan Burn

Defender

82'

3

Nico O’Reilly

Defender

82'

11

Marcus Rashford

Attacker

90'

22

Ivan Toney

Attacker

90'

1

Juan Musso

Goalkeeper

11

Giovani Lo Celso

Midfielder

14

Exequiel Palacios

Midfielder

12

Gerónimo Rulli

Goalkeeper

2

Marcos Senesi

Defender

16

Thiago Almada

Midfielder

25

Facundo Medina

Defender

18

Nico Paz

Midfielder

8

Valentín Barco

Defender

21

José Manuel López

Attacker

15

Nico González

Attacker

64'

19

Nicolás Otamendi

Defender

72'

7

Rodrigo de Paul

Midfielder

72'

4

Gonzalo Montiel

Defender

72'

22

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

81'

Atalanta are edging closer to an agreement for Kerim Alajbegovic, with reports of a new offer worth €25m plus add-ons to Bayer Leverkusen and the player asking Sead Kolasinac for advice.

It has been said by several sources over the last few days that La Dea are making a strong bid to sign the Bosnia and Herzegovina talent.

Now Sky Sport Italia and Sport Mediaset note that a new proposal has come in worth €25m plus bonuses, which is edging close to the €30m asking price.

Atalanta want Alajbegovic

Alajbegovic won’t turn 19 until September, but has already made a real name for himself both playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and at club level.

The attacking winger spent last season on loan at RB Salzburg, where he scored 13 goals and provided four assists in 44 competitive appearances.

Another sign of progress in the negotiations is the suggestion he has already spoken to Bosnia teammate Kolasinac to ask about life in Serie A, and specifically living in Bergamo.

Kolasinac has been at the club since the summer of 2023 and was part of the Atalanta squad that won the Europa League in 2024.

Como have accepted an offer from Udinese for Kosovo international Mergim Vojvoda, claim Sportitalia, so now he will discuss personal terms.

The right-back is 31 years old and his current contract at the Stadio Sinigaglia runs to June 2028.

He joined Como in February 2025 from Torino at a cost of €2m, before that playing for Standard Liege.

Vojvoda heading to Udinese

There had been reports of interest from the likes of Cagliari, Venezia and Monza, but it would seem as if Udinese have the upper hand.

Sportitalia transfer pundit Gianluigi Longari claims that Udinese made a proposal for Vojvoda and Como have accepted.

Sky Sport Italia give the figures as €1.3m plus €0.3m in add-ons.

Now it is up to the Friulani to agree personal terms with the versatile defender, who can also play in central defence, or in a more advanced position down the right flank.

He made 34 appearances for Como last season between Serie A and the Coppa Italia, scoring two goals with three assists.

Italian referee Marco Di Bello is the VAR for this evening’s World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina, with Maurizio Mariani the fourth official.

The game kicked off in Atlanta at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

The winners will go on to face Spain in the Final in New Jersey on Sunday, while the losers will take on France for the bronze medal on Saturday.

Much was made of the choice of officials for the semi-finals in this tournament, with France’s Didier Deschamps criticising the appointment of Ivan Barton from El Salvador.

The pick for the second semi-final was no less obscure, Ismail Elfath originally from Morocco, but nationalised US citizen.

Italian experience with Di Bello and Mariani

There is more experience off the field, as Italian fourth official Mariani is tasked with keeping things calm on the touchline between Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni.

In the VAR booth is Di Bello, who could well be called into action, considering the tense and scrappy history between these football nations.

Di Bello turned 45 on Sunday and has officiated 189 Serie A games, 75 in Serie B and 11 in the Coppa Italia.

He was always one for discipline, flashing 822 yellow cards during his 189 Serie A matches, 31 straight red cards, and a further 17 dismissals due to double bookings.

Di Bello became an international referee in 2018 and was chosen to officiate the Final of the Cyprus Cup in May 2022.

He was a VAR at EURO 2020 and has been a FIFA Video Match Official since January 2021.

Di Bello was suspended for a month in 2024 after a chaotic Serie A match between Lazio and Milan that saw three red cards.

Napoli agreed personal terms with Exequiel Zeballos and reports are growing that they made the first formal offer to Boca Juniors worth just under €10m.

Multiple sources had already noted that the club had swooped for the player, who is primarily wide right of a trident attack, but can also go on the left or in a centre-forward role.

His contract with Boca Juniors only runs to December 31 this year, so although there is a release clause in his contract at €14.5m, this won’t be the asking price in the circumstances.

Zeballos has heart set on Napoli

Transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano claims that Napoli have finally made the first offer to Boca Juniors and it is worth $10m (just under €10m), which would fit with the report from Sportitalia expert Alfredo Pedullà on July 9.

It is no secret that Zeballos has his heart set on Napoli, with TyC Sports reporting that he had agreed personal terms all the way back in May.

The 24-year-old is determined to play at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and follow in the footsteps of the Argentina legend.

This is why he turned down a lucrative contract extension to stay at Boca Juniors.

There are mixed reports in Italy and Spain on the status of Bologna talks for Real Oviedo left-back Rahim Alhassane, with an asking price of €4m.

The 24-year-old is a Niger international who has been at Real Oviedo since the summer of 2024.

He made 28 appearances for the club last season between LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, without contributing any assists or goals.

Alhassane a target for Bologna

The suggestions in Spain via La Voz de Asturias are that negotiations are at an advanced stage and a deal could be done imminently.

That is not the version of events given by Sky Sport Italia transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio.

He notes that although Alhassane talks are certainly on, Bologna are hoping to get an agreement reached for less than the €4m asking price set by Real Oviedo.

His current contract runs to June 2028 and the player can also do a job in central defence as well as left-back.

Lazio have set their sights on Fluminense centre-forward John Kennedy, claim Sky Sport Italia, but negotiations are still at an early stage with interest also from Watford and Wolves.

The striker celebrated his 24^th birthday in May and is a product of the Fluminense youth academy, returning to Brazil following a brief loan spell in Mexico with Pachuca.

Kennedy made mark at Fluminense

He has scored 14 goals in 35 competitive games for the club in 2026, along with two assists.

There were also six appearances for Brazil at Under-23 level, finding the net on one occasion.

Sky Sport Italia report that the talks have just begun between Lazio and Fluminense, and they are still trying to work out the formula that could be used to sign him.

There is plenty of competition for Kennedy, because the centre-forward has also been linked with English clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford.

Cagliari had also been mentioned, but have since started looking to other targets.

Como President Mirwan Suwarso has confirmed the report he called Inter to offer a pact of non-aggression over Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah. ‘This is a win-win relationship.’

The two Serie A teams were reportedly about to spark a bidding war for the England international, with an asking price of €35m from Stamford Bridge.

Just as it looked as if they were going to go head-to-head, La Gazzetta dello Sport claimed that Suwarso had called Inter to propose a pact, where they would back out to ensure they weren’t both fleeced.

To the general astonishment of the Business of Sport podcast crew, the Como President confirmed all of that was entirely accurate.

Como take modern approach to transfer market

“There was a story in the media that we were in competition with another Italian team for a British player, they were saying we might want to buy him,” Suwarso told Business of Sport.

“So you know what, why don’t I just call the President of the other club and say, do you want him? If you want him, you go for it, we’ll back out. But if you buy him, then give me one of yours.

“He said, thanks for calling, I appreciate this, I’ll let you know. So we said these are the other targets we’re going after, we’re happy to share with you.

“So for me this is a win-win relationship with other clubs, we are open, it helps all of us to grow. I have a lunch next week with another chairman of another club, who can start managing their clothing brand together.”

There are some Serie A sides who produce their own kits and lifestyle products, specifically Napoli and Venezia, so it is likely one of these is his lunch dates.

Como do things very differently to other clubs, and part of that is because they were so small before the Indonesian decided to take them from Serie C to the Champions League.

“We spent a quite significant amount, but we do believe that we can break even and start no longer requiring injections from the owners at the end of next season,” said Suwarso.

“I met with UEFA, there’s no precedent of where we are, because UEFA look at the last few years. In comparison with Juventus and Aston Villa, the start-up level and growth level is different. Even they say they would have to evaluate how they look at Financial Fair Play.

“We want to become good members of the Association, so if you have to fine us, then fine us, that can be an objective we need to overcome. We don’t want to be treated differently.”

Suwarso confirmed purchased Como for €850,000 plus €150,000 in debt, but then poured money into the club, including the construction of a training ground that previously didn’t exist.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez, Juventus winger Nico Gonzalez and Como’s Nico Paz are on the bench for Lionel Messi’s Argentina against England in the World Cup semi-final.

It kicks off in Atlanta at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

The winners go on to face Spain in the Final on Sunday evening, while the losers fight with France for the bronze medal on Saturday.

There is some Italian representation here, as Maurizio Mariani is the fourth official on the touchline dealing with Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni.

Argentina have scraped their way through to this stage in defending their title won in 2022, needing extra time against Cape Verde, a last-gasp turnaround from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 amid controversy, and again extra time to defeat 10-man Switzerland.

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez scored twice in this World Cup, but he is benched once more in favour of Julian Alvarez.

There was expected to be a Serie A player in the starting XI, as for the first time Juventus man Nico Gonzalez was going to get the nod rather than ex-Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul on the right.

Instead, it is Giuliano Simeone, younger brother of Torino forward Giovanni Simeone, who plays.

Curiously, Giuliano was born in Rome because his father Diego was playing for Lazio at the time.

Nico Gonzalez spent this season on loan with Atletico Madrid, but they did not agree to buy him outright yet, scoring five goals in 37 games.

Nahuel Molina, another former Udinese player, starts at right-back, while ex-Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes has shaken off a knock.

England were given their toughest test yet in the quarter-final, squeezing past Erling Haaland’s Norway in extra time thanks to a Jude Bellingham brace.

All but one of their goals in the competition have been scored by either Bellingham or Harry Kane.

Jordan Henderson is out after breaking his arm jumping over an advertising board, while Jarrell Quansah continues his two-match ban.

Declan Rice has recovered from a stomach bug, but the surprise is Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa given his second start of the World Cup on the right.

There is some reshuffling in defence, with Reece James and Inter-linked Djed Spence as full-backs.

England vs. Argentina line-ups

England: Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Rice, Anderson; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane

Argentina: Emiliano Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Simeone, Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Julian Alvarez

15-07-2026 20:00

Semi-final

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

England

Argentina

1 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Elliot Anderson		37'
		42'		Lautaro Martínez

2nd half

		51'		Cristian Romero
Anthony Gordon (Assist: Morgan Rogers)		55'
		86'		Enzo Fernández (Assist: Lionel Messi)
		90+2'		Lautaro Martínez (Assist: Lionel Messi)
		90+4'		Rodrigo de Paul

Match statistic

36

Possession %

64

5

Total shots

15

2

Shots on target

5

1

Shots off target

7

2

Blocked shots

3

1

Corners

6

1

Offsides

3

11

Fouls

15

England

Argentina

Starting lineups

1

Jordan Pickford

Goalkeeper

25

Djed Spence

Defender

90'

5

John Stones

Defender

90'

6

Marc Guehi

Defender

24

Reece James

Defender

82'

4

Declan Rice

Midfielder

82'

8

Elliot Anderson

Midfielder

10

Jude Bellingham

Midfielder

18

Anthony Gordon

Attacker

72'

9

Harry Kane

Attacker

17

Morgan Rogers

Attacker

23

Emiliano Martínez

Goalkeeper

13

Cristian Romero

Defender

6

Lisandro Martínez

Defender

72'

26

Nahuel Molina

Defender

72'

3

Nicolás Tagliafico

Defender

81'

20

Alexis Mac Allister

Midfielder

24

Enzo Fernández

Midfielder

5

Leandro Paredes

Midfielder

64'

17

Giuliano Simeone

Attacker

72'

9

Julián Álvarez

Attacker

10

Lionel Messi

Attacker

Substitutes

14

Jordan Henderson

Midfielder

20

Noni Madueke

Attacker

7

Bukayo Saka

Attacker

13

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

23

James Trafford

Goalkeeper

19

Ollie Watkins

Attacker

12

Trevoh Chalobah

Defender

16

Kobbie Mainoo

Midfielder

21

Eberechi Eze

Attacker

2

Ezri Konsa

Defender

72'

15

Dan Burn

Defender

82'

3

Nico O’Reilly

Defender

82'

11

Marcus Rashford

Attacker

90'

22

Ivan Toney

Attacker

90'

1

Juan Musso

Goalkeeper

11

Giovani Lo Celso

Midfielder

14

Exequiel Palacios

Midfielder

12

Gerónimo Rulli

Goalkeeper

2

Marcos Senesi

Defender

16

Thiago Almada

Midfielder

25

Facundo Medina

Defender

18

Nico Paz

Midfielder

8

Valentín Barco

Defender

21

José Manuel López

Attacker

15

Nico González

Attacker

64'

19

Nicolás Otamendi

Defender

72'

7

Rodrigo de Paul

Midfielder

72'

4

Gonzalo Montiel

Defender

72'

22

Lautaro Martínez

Attacker

81'

After Paulo Dybala, Roma have reportedly agreed new contracts with Zeki Celik, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, with talks on for Lorenzo Pellegrini too.

The Giallorossi have been going down the list of priorities this summer, and much of that revolves around keeping the group intact that qualified for the Champions League.

Roma keeping core of squad

Dybala was the most urgent, as his contract had already expired on June 30 and he had offers from Boca Juniors, but this week he signed a new deal to June 2027 at a reduced salary.

It is widely reported that Celik has also agreed a new contract after becoming a free agent.

Now SportMediaset claim that both defender Mancini and midfielder Cristante have shaken hands on agreements holding them to the Giallorossi.

Mancini will be to June 2029, and Cristante only to June 2028.

Transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano also confirms that talks are in progress with Pellegrini to extend his stay, as he too is a free agent as of July 1.

Venezia unveiled their home jersey for the 2026/27 season upon their return to Serie A, designed by club co-owner Drake’s NOCTA label, with promise of further streetwear options.

The Lagunari have been promoted back to the top flight after winning the 2025-26 Serie B title.

Venezia release home shirt for new season

They are celebrating the comeback with a mainly black shirt that showcases the club’s unusual and iconic orange and green bands across the chest.

There are also orange and green accents along the collar, and on the sleeves.

This is designed by NOCTA, the clothing company run by rapper Drake, who is a minority shareholder of Venezia FC.

As part of this collaboration, the club and NOCTA will also release a series of training, travel, fanwear and streetwear items throughout the course of the campaign.

Kappa had been the kit designers for the Stadio Penzo side until the announcement in February that NOCTA were taking over.

Juventus flop Lois Openda has another club interested in him, as Olympique Lyonnais challenge RC Lens and Coventry City for the striker.

The Belgium international was a disastrous signing last summer from RB Leipzig, on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season for a total fee of €46m.

Openda failed at Juventus

He does not fit into coach Luciano Spalletti’s vision and barely featured in the closing weeks of the campaign, making only one brief substitute cameo in the last 11 rounds.

The forward made 34 competitive appearances for the Bianconeri, scoring just two goals, but was in the starting XI for only nine of those matches.

An exit is inevitable, with Coventry City and his old club RC Lens interested in giving him a way out of Turin.

However, today Footmercato claim that Olympique Lyonnais have dived in with a proposal, which would allow them to cover his entire salary, unlike RC Lens.

Juventus know that a loan with option to buy is their best bet to rebuild Openda’s profile and market value.

Como have officially signed Italy Under-20 international Mattia Liberali from Catanzaro, activating the €6m release clause after he turned down a return to Milan.

“It’s a real thrill to be able to start my journey at Como,” Liberali told the club website.

“I’m really keen to develop and improve, and I’ve found we share a lot of common ground with the club in this regard. I’ve also spoken to the manager, and I think the playing philosophy is perfect for me. I can’t wait to take to the pitch at the Sinigaglia and meet the fans.”

Liberali ready to take off at Como

The creative midfielder only turned 19 in April and has represented Italy at various youth levels throughout his career.

He was a product of the Milan youth academy, but left amid frustration last summer when he realised there would be no playing time or imminent promotion to the senior squad.

Liberali joined Catanzaro effectively for nothing, but with Milan still owed 50 per cent of the future sale fee.

It was widely reported that the Rossoneri had tried to talk him into returning to San Siro this season, where he would cost them just €3m rather than the full €6m release clause.

However, he was convinced that Como and working with Cesc Fabregas would be the correct next step in his career.

He has signed a contract with Como until June 2031.

“Mattia is a creative player with excellent technical ability and confidence in possession,” coach Fabregas told the club website.

“He can operate in tight spaces, create chances and contribute in the final third. We believe his qualities fit our style and look forward to helping him continue his development.”

Last season, Liberali scored four goals with four assists in 30 games for Serie B side Catanzaro.

More details are emerging from the decision to shelve the investigation into Gianluca Rocchi, with investigators noting Inter not wanting certain referees was not enough to prove ‘a structured system’ to alter outcomes.

The investigation erupted in April 2026 when refereeing designator Rocchi was placed under formal investigation with the accusation of sporting fraud.

After weeks of uncertainty and controversy, with many promising a second Calciopoli scandal after 2006, the entire investigation was shelved today due to lack of evidence.

Rocchi and Inter cleared

The statement released by the prosecutor explains why there was insufficient cause to continue with the extremely serious charges.

“Within the limits of the available evidence, including wiretaps, tracking, and witness statements, we identified interference and pressure in only a few of the cases involving referee designations at the centre of this investigation.

“However, based on the conversations intercepted between Rocchi and others, the evidence does not demonstrate that this interference and pressure was objectively aimed at altering the outcome of matches.”

The most important missing element here was direct contact between Rocchi and the club, although it was revealed today for the first time that Inter had been under formal investigation too.

Instead, he is heard speaking to colleagues about common knowledge that Inter do not like or want certain referees assigned to their games.

“Therefore, no structured system emerged to influence the fairness of the matches, nor any director or intercepted contact between the refereeing designator and Inter officials,” continued the statement.

Whereas in Calciopoli there was direct pressure from various clubs to remove certain referees from games and assign others, this was purely a process of elimination.

If there was to be proof of an attempt to alter the outcome, it would be suggesting who to put in place of the ‘disliked’ referees.

The matches under the spotlight were Inter-Milan in the Coppa Italia on April 23, 2025, Inter-Verona in Serie A on May 3, 2025, and Torino-Inter on April 26, 2026.

The evidence has been passed on to the sporting justice system, who could still choose to look further into the matter and present other charges.

There are reports Besiktas have set a deadline for Dusan Vlahovic to accept their offer, but the striker continues to wait for bigger European clubs, with Juventus in the background.

The forward is a free agent after letting his contract with Juve run down on June 30, and rejected the proposal to extend for €6m per season, approximately half the salary he was on before, plus performance-related bonuses.

Vlahovic not getting offers he expected

He had expected numerous bids to flood in from sides like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, but so far the only genuine offer on the table is from Besiktas.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, that is a three-year contract worth around €8m per season, but without the big signing-on fee and commission that he is looking for.

Besiktas are losing patience, and it’s reported they have set a deadline of Thursday evening for Vlahovic to either accept, or they will turn towards other targets.

The Serbia international does not seem inclined to take the contract, as he still believes that better offers will come in during the summer.

Juventus are also increasingly confident that Vlahovic might come crawling back to Turin when he sees the lack of alternatives.

Former Arsenal, Ajax and Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu could return to Serie A as a free agent, with Sassuolo and Venezia in talks.

The versatile Japan international is out of contract after his experience with Ajax, having joined them for free last summer when leaving Arsenal.

Able to play in central defence, as a right-back or a left-back, he is still only 27 years old.

Tomiyasu could return to Serie A

According to Tuttomercatoweb, there have been negotiations with his entourage for a possible return to Italy with Sassuolo and newly-promoted Venezia.

Tomiyasu wore the Bologna jersey from 2019 to 2021, when he earned an €18.6m transfer to Arsenal.

He amassed 61 Serie A appearances, scoring three goals and providing three assists playing for the Rossoblu.

His career was most recently thrown off track by a serious knee injury, which kept him out from July 2024 to October 2025, but he did participate in the 2026 World Cup with Japan.

Venezia made the move for the Japanese player after discovering Marin Sverko requires surgery that could keep him out of action for several months.

Genoa have revealed their new home jersey for the 2026/27 season, which is inspired by the 35^th anniversary of beating Liverpool at Anfield.

The Grifone launched their kit with a special video titled ‘you’ll never run alone,’ a play on the iconic Liverpool anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Genoa remember Anfield coup

Kombat designed the jersey and the advertising campaign reunited some of the stars who were part of that game, including Tomas Skuhravy, Mario Bortolazzi, Armando Ferroni, Vincenzo Torrente and Gennaro Ruotolo.

The 2-1 result in March 1992 allowed the Grifone to become the first ever Italian side to beat Liverpool on their home turf, and secure a 4-1 aggregate victory to reach the UEFA Cup semi-final.

Unfortunately, some of the legendary players from that season, captain Gianluca Signorini and defender Andrea Fortunato, are no longer with us, but are referenced in the video.

Carlos Aguilera scored both goals in the game, which is remembered in the clip with the original commentary from Bruno Pizzul.

Roma are actively working to sell Manu Koné for at least €60m, with reports in Italy claiming Manchester United are ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal for the France midfielder.

His asking price had already been a minimum of €50m before the World Cup, but has since surged thanks to his impressive performances, as confirmed by how badly he was missed in the semi-final against Spain when making way for Aurelien Tchaouameni.

Koné targeted by Premier League

There are some suggestions in England, most notably from Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, that Manchester United have already agreed a deal worth €53m.

That is not the version given by the Corriere dello Sport, who insist that while Manchester United have been the most consistently interested and taken more steps, they are by no means the only club.

Others from the Premier League to have contacted Roma to ask for information are Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, along with Atletico Madrid in LaLiga.

Above all, the price is not going to drop below €60m (approximately £51m) after those performances in the 2026 World Cup.

The 25-year-old is going to provide a hefty profit regardless, as he was purchased from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2024 for just €18m plus €2m in add-ons.

His World Cup is not over yet, as Koné and France will play in Saturday’s third-place final, but after that he can begin to work in earnest on the next step of his career.

Fiorentina have agreed a deal with Le Havre, sending them midfielder Amir Richardson on loan with an option to buy for €8m.

Multiple sources including L’Equipe and Le Parisien are confident the final details have been worked out and he will arrive for a medical on Friday or Saturday this week.

The 24-year-old had joined Fiorentina from Stade Reims in the summer of 2024 at a cost of €9m plus add-ons.

Richardson struggled at Fiorentina

Although he made 43 appearances in all competition for the club, scoring two goals and providing one assist, his time in Florence made little impact.

He was loaned out to FC Copenhagen in January 2026, and has no place in the current squad under new coach Fabio Grosso.

This represents a return to Le Havre for the Morocco international, who started his career in their youth team from 2019 until moving on in 2022.

The 24-year-old has nine senior caps for Morocco after representing France at youth level.

Another player set to leave Fiorentina is Robin Gosens, who last night agreed a loan with obligation to buy at the end of the season for €2.5m plus bonus to Schalke 04.

Roma were locked in talks for weeks to sign Mason Greenwood, but Olympique Marseille director Gregory Lorenzi reveals ‘only Fenerbahce made a formal offer’ and his ‘image’ was a problem.

The Giallorossi had targeted the Englishman for the whole summer, with reports of a proposal worth over €42m plus add-ons coming to Marseille.

They could not compete with the salary on offer in Turkiye, where there are significantly different tax regulations allowing for a higher wage of a reported €10m per season, and he ultimately chose Fenerbahce.

Amid rumours of a bidding war with Atletico Madrid and teams from the Saudi Pro League, it is therefore surprising to learn that Roma never went all in.

Greenwood never received Roma bid

“You all know the complexity of the Greenwood situation, given the player’s image,” confessed new Marseille director of sport Lorenzi in a press conference today.

He was referring to the domestic violence allegations that saw him pushed out of Manchester United, and the reason why Roma fans started a petition urging the club not to buy him.

Considering his splendid record in France, and the fact 40 per cent of the profit was owed to Manchester United, Marseille fans wonder why Greenwood only cost €39m plus bonuses.

“When we talk about the transfer fee, we shouldn’t assume that there were that many opportunities for Mason. Discussions had already taken place, the player was determined to leave as soon as possible, I want to make that clear.

“Clubs didn’t approach us, so the idea of selling for €80-100m… The market decided the player wasn’t worth that much. We thought there would be several clubs interested, which unfortunately wasn’t the case,” added Lorenzi.

“So we felt the best solution for all concerned was Fenerbahce, in the circumstances.”

Udinese defender Oumar Solet was linked with Inter and Juventus, but now there are reports Leeds United are coming in with an offer worth €25m.

The centre-back impressed last season in Friuli and is still considered hot property on the transfer market.

However, the Serie A sides showing firm interest like Inter and Juve are forced to deal with other priorities first, so let the negotiations slide rather than pay the €25m asking price.

Solet snapped up by Leeds United?

That could prove costly, because Il Messaggero Veneto newspaper via FCInterNews claim that Leeds United are making no such qualms, so are ready to swoop with the full fee.

It would be the second time in a few days that Leeds United have dived in to pick up a Serie A talent, as they already agreed a €40m deal with Sassuolo for Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic.

When Inter did come forward with proposals for Solet, they were believed to be worth €20m including add-ons, which is not enough to tempt Udinese into a sale.

It is a big profit for Udinese, who picked up the Frenchman as a free agent in January 2025 after he left RB Salzburg in a contract dispute in September 2024.

Spain have knocked favourites France out of the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 victory, as Milan’s Mike Maignan, Adrien Rabiot and Roma midfielder Manu Koné miss out on the Final.

The Spaniards go on to face either England or Argentina in the Final on July 19 in New Jersey, while France will fight for the bronze medal on July 18.

Les Bleus had won every game so far in the tournament, but made two changes from the side that beat Morocco in the quarter-final, as Bradley Barcola was preferred to Désiré Doué, but above all Roma’s Manu Koné dropped to the bench as Aurelien Tchaoumeni recovered from a muscular injury.

Spain conceded only one goal in six World Cup games, during the 2-1 victory over Belgium, and again picked ex-Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz rather than Pedri.

Spain were awarded a penalty when Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal, the defender who just agreed a move to PSG making a hash of a clearance. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to convert past Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Mikel Oyarzabal scores from the spot and Spain lead France! pic.twitter.com/pJManVOZf3

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 14, 2026

The situation went from bad to worse for France, as moments later William Saliba went off with a back injury, then Fabian Ruiz prodded wide after a well-worked move set up by Yamal.

Unai Simon’s first real test was sprinting off his line to clear from Kylian Mbappé at the 42^nd minute, then Mbappé just failed to get on the end of a fizzing Jules Koundé cross.

Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot was already on a yellow card and risked a second, so was replaced by Roma’s Koné for the restart.

INCREDIBLE

Spain one-two their way through the France defense and Pedro Porro doubles his country’s lead… pic.twitter.com/DFGCLMzFUC

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 14, 2026

However, Spain passed their way through the French side to score the second with Pedro Porro blasting in at the near post after a give and go with Dani Olmo.

Lamine Yamal had the ball in the net again moments later, but was flagged offside, while Mbappé saw his strike deflected inches wide by Marc Cucurella.

The best chance France had was when Unai Simon came rushing out to clear, but got back in time to stop Désiré Doué firing into the empty net.

France 0-2 Spain

Oyarzabal pen 23 (S), Porro 58 (S)

14-07-2026 20:00

Semi-final

AT&T Stadium

France

Spain

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Adrien Rabiot		9'
		22'		Mikel Oyarzabal
		31'		Marc Cucurella

2nd half

		58'		Pedro Porro (Assist: Dani Olmo)
Kylian Mbappé		86'

Match statistic

49

Possession %

51

10

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

2

5

Shots off target

5

2

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

1

4

Offsides

5

11

Fouls

12

France

Spain

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

4

Dayot Upamecano

Defender

5

Jules Koundé

Defender

3

Lucas Digne

Defender

72'

17

William Saliba

Defender

30'

14

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

46'

8

Aurélien Tchouaméni

Midfielder

11

Michael Olise

Midfielder

72'

12

Bradley Barcola

Attacker

57'

10

Kylian Mbappé

Attacker

7

Ousmane Dembélé

Attacker

23

Unai Simón

Goalkeeper

14

Aymeric Laporte

Defender

24

Marc Cucurella

Defender

22

Pau Cubarsí

Defender

12

Pedro Porro

Defender

84'

15

Álex Baena

Midfielder

84'

8

Fabián Ruiz

Midfielder

78'

16

Rodri

Midfielder

10

Dani Olmo

Attacker

78'

19

Lamine Yamal

Attacker

21

Mikel Oyarzabal

Attacker

74'

Substitutes

19

Theo Hernández

Defender

13

N’Golo Kanté

Midfielder

15

Ibrahima Konaté

Defender

21

Lucas Hernández

Defender

2

Malo Gusto

Defender

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

18

Warren Zaïre-Emery

Midfielder

1

Brice Samba

Goalkeeper

22

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

23

Robin Risser

Goalkeeper

26

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

30'

6

Manu Koné

Midfielder

46'

20

Désiré Doué

Midfielder

57'

24

Rayan Cherki

Attacker

72'

25

Maghnes Akliouche

Midfielder

72'

4

Eric García

Defender

3

Alejandro Grimaldo

Defender

26

Borja Iglesias

Attacker

18

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

11

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

9

Gavi

Midfielder

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

25

Víctor Muñoz

Attacker

13

Joan García

Goalkeeper

2

Marc Pubill

Defender

7

Ferran Torres

Attacker

74'

6

Mikel Merino

Midfielder

78'

20

Pedri

Midfielder

78'

5

Marcos Llorente

Midfielder

84'

17

Nico Williams

Attacker

84'

Robin Gosens has agreed a transfer to Schalke 04 after he was frozen out of the Fiorentina squad in pre-season training, claim reports in Germany.

The player was informed he was not part of the plans in Florence and not even invited to join the team at Viola Park to work with new coach Fabio Grosso.

Gosens turned 32 earlier this month and his contract with the Viola was meant to run until June 2028.

Schalke 04 next destination for Gosens

German transfer expert Florian Plettenberg claims on Sky Sports Deutschland that a full agreement has now been reached, both between the two clubs, and on personal terms.

Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Fabrizio Romano and Sportitalia all claim it will be a loan with obligation to buy for €2.5m plus bonus.

Fiorentina had excluded him, so were content to take a minimal transfer fee to get his wages off their books.

It is no ordinary move for Gosens, who grew up supporting Schalke 04 and has never played for them before.

He spent most of his career in Italy, first arriving for Atalanta in 2017, then earning a €27.4m move to Inter in 2022.

There was a brief return to Germany for Union Berlin in 2023-24, before coming back to Serie A for Fiorentina.

Mason Greenwood has officially joined Fenerbahce from Olympique Marseille for €39m plus add-ons, ending one of the transfer sagas of the summer, as Roma were frozen out.

The Giallorossi did not disguise that he was the first choice to strengthen their attack after qualifying for the Champions League.

However, while they were prepared to perhaps pay even more than Fenerbahce ultimately did, they could not compete with the reported wages of €10m per season in Turkiye.

Greenwood chose Fenerbahce

Mason Greenwood Fenerbahçe’de. pic.twitter.com/dPWEju4TnL

— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce) July 14, 2026

Greenwood also seemed to favour a move to Fenerbahce, holding negotiations with two different Presidential candidates, as Roma were unable to convince him.

While Atletico Madrid and some Saudi Pro League sides were also interested, the Englishman had made his decision some weeks ago.

Fenerbahce released a formal statement confirming that the fee is worth €39m and will be paid to Olympique Marseille over three instalments in three years.

They will also pay the solidarity contribution to Getafe, while Marseille must give 40 per cent of the profit to his former club Manchester United.

There were other issues for Roma too, as fans set up a petition urging them not to buy a player with a history of domestic violence allegations.

Fiorentina talent Luis Balbo, who is already a Venezuela international, has been approached for a possible move to Sturm Graz.

The 20-year-old left-back has four senior caps for Venezuela, despite only making his Serie A debut in April 2026.

Balbo has impressed at Fiorentina

Coming up through the youth academies of FC Porto and Famalicao, he joined Fiorentina in January 2024 and was promoted to the senior squad in January 2026.

According to Argentine transfer pundit Cesar Luis Merlo, there has been a strong proposal from Sturm Graz.

The Austrian side want Balbo on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

He has made 10 senior appearances for the Viola and it remains to be seen if Fiorentina want to release him yet.

Now that Juventus are pocketing €20m from the €40m sale of Tarik Muharemovic to Leeds United, they will reportedly use it to get Jhon Lucumi from Bologna.

Multiple sources report his evening that the agreement has been reached for Sassuolo to sell Muharemovic to Leeds for €40m.

As part of the original €2m move to the Neroverdi, Juve are owed 50 per cent of the future sale fee, so are going to bring in €20m this summer.

Juventus reinvest Muharemovic cash in Lucumi

According to Sportitalia, that will be immediately reinvested in signing a new central defender, with Lucumi the first choice.

His release clause was set at €28m, but that expires tomorrow, so Juve are going to ask for a small discount in negotiations.

Juve had the opportunity to bring Muharemovic back to Turin at half-price, at a cost of just €18m, but had instead preferred someone with Lucumi’s experience and characteristics.

The Colombia international turned 28 last month and is down to the final few months of his contract at the Stadio Dall’Ara, set to expire in June 2027.

Bologna had paid €8m to buy him from KRC Genk in the summer of 2022.

Tottenham Hotspur are demanding €50m to sell defender Cristian Romero, claim Sportitalia, so Inter are very unlikely to beat Barcelona to his signature.

It was reported this evening by Fabrizio Romano on his Italian language YouTube channel that Romero had been proposed to Inter by Spurs during negotiations for right-back Djed Spence.

Notably, this was an idea put forward by Tottenham directors and not a request for information by Inter.

Cuti Romero asking price set for Inter

Sportitalia transfer expert Gianluigi Longari now provides further details, which is that the asking price for the Argentina international is €50m.

That is just under what the Premier League side paid to buy him from Atalanta in 2022, the fee then €53.8m after an initial loan spell in 2021-22.

Although he only recently signed a new contract in August 2025, the rapport between the defender and Tottenham has plummeted in recent months.

Both club and player believe their time together is over, but with a contract until 2029, they need to reach an agreement.

Inter had already baulked at paying €50m for Marco Palestra, a young player with future sale value, so are unlikely to shell out a similar sum for a centre-back, not to mention his wage demands.

The 28-year-old already knows Serie A well, having played for Genoa, Juventus and Atalanta.

Inter and Barcelona are interested in signing Cristian Romero, claims Fabrizio Romano, as the Argentina international could leave Tottenham Hotspur.

The 28-year-old’s future has been up in the air for a while, as his current contract runs to June 2029, but he is frustrated at their difficulties after risking relegation.

Sportitalia had already reported that he was pushing for an exit this summer.

Romero proposed to Inter

According to transfer pundit Romano in his Italian-language YouTube channel, it was during talks between Inter and Tottenham for Djed Spence that they discussed Romero too.

He claims that it was Tottenham who suggested Inter look into the possibility of buying Romero.

The Nerazzurri are seeking an experienced centre-back and Cuti would fit the bill, especially as there is already a strong Argentine flavour at the club with Lautaro Martinez and vice president Javier Zanetti.

More importantly, Romero already knows Serie A well, having come to Italy for Genoa in 2018, then playing for Juventus and Atalanta, where he made the €53.8m move to Tottenham in the summer of 2021.

However, Romano points out this move is improbable because of the sheer costs involved, and there is also competition from Barcelona.

Multiple sources in Italy confirm Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic is ready to join Leeds United after the clubs agreed a €40m fee, with half going to Juventus.

Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, Fabrizio Romano and more all confirm the same details.

Muharemovic has chosen Leeds United

The centre-back had participated in the 2026 World Cup with Bosnia and Herzegovina this summer, and was widely expected to move on after two years at Sassuolo.

He made his way up from the Juventus youth academy and was sold to Sassuolo for just €2m in 2025 following the initial loan spell, but with the Bianconeri promised 50 per cent of the future sale fee.

It had been reported Juve considered bringing him back to base, as it would only cost them €18m instead of the €40m fee, but they preferred to just cash in on the sale.

Bournemouth and Sunderland were also strongly interested in Muharemovic, but the 23-year-old appears to be heading to Leeds United.

The central defender is expected in England over the next 48 hours to undergo a medical and sign the contract, once the final details have been ironed out.

Nicolò Zaniolo is refusing to train with Udinese after failing to agree a new contract, so there are reports he was offered to Milan over the last 24 hours.

The Italy international is in a rather odd situation, as he joined Udinese last summer on loan for €2.5m with option to buy for a further €5m, plus Galatasaray getting a 50 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

However, as it was a rushed job, it was done with the promise to re-evaluate his salary once the campaign was over.

That process is still happening, as Zaniolo has not been able to agree on a wage package with the Friulani.

Zaniolo pushing for Udinese exit

This week he was expected at pre-season training, but instead sent a medical certificate to excuse him from attending, a well-worn technique by players who are trying to force an exit.

Now Milan transfer expert Daniele Longo claims on his YouTube channel that Zaniolo’s entourage offered him to the Rossoneri for a summer swoop.

It remains to be seen if they are interested in a player who did have a good season, but also has a terrible injury record and hasn’t been able to find any consistency in recent years.

Since forcing the exit from Roma in February 2023, he has played for Galatasaray, Aston Villa, Atalanta, Fiorentina and Udinese.

The contract with Udinese technically runs to June 2029, so this could get ugly if a solution is not found soon for the 27-year-old.

He has also been linked with a return to the Stadio Olimpico, this time for Lazio.

The bad news has already started for Roma before the season even kicks off, as Robinio Vaz has been ruled out for several weeks by a knee ligament injury.

The pre-season training only began this week at Trigoria under the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Last term was ruined by a series of injuries, almost all of them to the attacking players, and 2026-27 is starting on the same foot.

Robinio Vaz already injured for Roma

Multiple reports including Sky Sport Italia state that Robinio Vaz sustained a right knee injury during training today and has been diagnosed with a lesion to the collateral ligament.

It is not a very serious issue, but still enough to keep the Brazilian out of action for several weeks while Roma staff evaluate the development of his recovery.

The 19-year-old was purchased from Olympique Marseille in the January transfer window at a cost of €22m plus add-ons.

Vaz made 14 competitive appearances in the Giallorossi jersey, contributing one goal and two assists.

Milan stars Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot start for France in the World Cup semi-final against Spain, but Roma midfielder Manu Koné drops back to the bench.

It kicks off in Dallas at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

The winners will play either England or Argentina in the World Cup Final on July 19.

France have emerged as the undoubted favourites to win the trophy after a series of dominant performances in USA, Canada and Mexico, winning all six matches with 16 goals scored and just three conceded.

There is a change for Didier Deschamps, because while Roma midfielder Koné has been the breakout star of the competition for them, he is benched today in favour of fit again Aurelien Tchouaméni.

It means there are only two Serie A players in the starting XI, both representing Milan with goalkeeper Maignan and midfielder Rabiot.

Kylian Mbappé leads the way with support from Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, but Bradley Barcola is preferred to Désiré Doué.

There are no Serie A players in the Spain squad, but after a dismal start with the shock 0-0 against Cape Verde, they’ve gone from strength to strength in this World Cup.

Unai Simon set a new record for most minutes without conceding at the World Cup, ended by Charles De Ketelaere in a 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium.

They start the same line-up as that game, meaning late goal hero Mikel Merino is again going to come off the bench as a super-sub after scoring in the Round of 16 and the quarter-final.

Mikel Oyarzabal is top scorer with four goals, supported by Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena.

Former Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz again pushes Pedri onto the bench.

France vs. Spain line-ups

France: Maignan; Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Digne; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Olise, Barcola; Mbappé

Spain: Unai Simon; Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

14-07-2026 20:00

Semi-final

AT&T Stadium

France

Spain

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

Adrien Rabiot		9'
		22'		Mikel Oyarzabal
		31'		Marc Cucurella

2nd half

		58'		Pedro Porro (Assist: Dani Olmo)
Kylian Mbappé		86'

Match statistic

49

Possession %

51

10

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

2

5

Shots off target

5

2

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

1

4

Offsides

5

11

Fouls

12

France

Spain

Starting lineups

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

4

Dayot Upamecano

Defender

5

Jules Koundé

Defender

3

Lucas Digne

Defender

72'

17

William Saliba

Defender

30'

14

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

46'

8

Aurélien Tchouaméni

Midfielder

11

Michael Olise

Midfielder

72'

12

Bradley Barcola

Attacker

57'

10

Kylian Mbappé

Attacker

7

Ousmane Dembélé

Attacker

23

Unai Simón

Goalkeeper

14

Aymeric Laporte

Defender

24

Marc Cucurella

Defender

22

Pau Cubarsí

Defender

12

Pedro Porro

Defender

84'

15

Álex Baena

Midfielder

84'

8

Fabián Ruiz

Midfielder

78'

16

Rodri

Midfielder

10

Dani Olmo

Attacker

78'

19

Lamine Yamal

Attacker

21

Mikel Oyarzabal

Attacker

74'

Substitutes

19

Theo Hernández

Defender

13

N’Golo Kanté

Midfielder

15

Ibrahima Konaté

Defender

21

Lucas Hernández

Defender

2

Malo Gusto

Defender

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

18

Warren Zaïre-Emery

Midfielder

1

Brice Samba

Goalkeeper

22

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Attacker

23

Robin Risser

Goalkeeper

26

Maxence Lacroix

Defender

30'

6

Manu Koné

Midfielder

46'

20

Désiré Doué

Midfielder

57'

24

Rayan Cherki

Attacker

72'

25

Maghnes Akliouche

Midfielder

72'

4

Eric García

Defender

3

Alejandro Grimaldo

Defender

26

Borja Iglesias

Attacker

18

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

11

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

9

Gavi

Midfielder

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

25

Víctor Muñoz

Attacker

13

Joan García

Goalkeeper

2

Marc Pubill

Defender

7

Ferran Torres

Attacker

74'

6

Mikel Merino

Midfielder

78'

20

Pedri

Midfielder

78'

5

Marcos Llorente

Midfielder

84'

17

Nico Williams

Attacker

84'

Luka Modric is increasingly likely to commit to a new one-year contract with Milan, claim reports, and could join their pre-season tour of Australia.

The midfielder turns 41 in September, and his contract with the Rossoneri expired on June 30.

He was focused on Croatia’s performance at the 2026 World Cup and is only now getting over the disappointment of their early exit.

Milan have won Modric over

According to Sky Sport Italia, the intensive courtship of directors and new coach Ruben Amorim helped convince Modric that he should continue this experience at San Siro for another year.

The player has never disguised his desire to one day play for the Rossoneri, who he grew up supporting when Zvonimir Boban was in the squad.

He is still on vacation, but would seem to be heavily leaning towards giving the all-clear to one more season.

If confirmed, Modric will join up with the squad during their pre-season tour of Australia, which begins on July 26.

Despite his age, the Ballon d’Or winner played 37 games for Milan last season, scoring two goals and providing three assists in 2,864 minutes of football.

It would’ve been more, but he was ruled out for two matches by a fractured cheekbone in April.

There are some free agents eager to remain in Serie A for new clubs, as Lecce have made an offer to ex-Lazio defender Elseid Hysaj, while Juan Jesus could join Venezia from Napoli.

The contracts expired on June 30 and now quite a few players are waiting to see where they will be involved in pre-season training.

Hysaj and Juan Jesus want Serie A

Hysaj is an Albania international, but spent practically his entire career in Italy for Empoli, Napoli and since 2021 at Lazio.

Sky Sport Italia report that the 32-year-old has received a formal proposal to join Lecce, but has not yet made a decision, which should be expected over the next 24 hours.

As for Juan Jesus, his contract was not renewed at Napoli, but he has been linked with newly promoted Venezia for a new Serie A adventure.

The Brazilian centre-back just turned 35 last month and is not ready to hang up his boots, nor leave Italy, where he has been since 2012 for Inter, Roma and Napoli.

Como have been very active, but also need to whittle down their squad, as Felipe Jack joins Cremonese, Southampton want Ivan Azon, while Club Brugge and Freiburg target Yannik Engelhardt.

The Lariani qualified for the Champions League after finishing fourth in Serie A and reaching the Coppa Italia semi-final, so are going to raise the bar even more this summer.

Cesc Fabregas has already received reinforcements like Luis Milla from Getafe, Kaiki from Cruzeiro and Barcelona youth product Andres Cuenca.

The focus therefore now has to be on whittling down those who won’t get playing time.

Como seek Jack, Engelhardt and Azon buyers

A transfer was already made official today, as defender Felipe Jack joined Serie B side Cremonese on loan for the rest of the season.

Fabrizio Romano claims that Southampton have started formal talks with Como for Azon, the 23-year-old Spanish striker who spent last season on loan at Ipswich Town.

The aim is to get a permanent sale for €9-10m, which is a big profit considering Como paid €2m to get him from Real Zaragoza in February 2025 and he never made a single appearance for the club.

The same pundit also states that both Club Brugge and SC Freiburg have made offers for German midfielder Engelhardt.

The Belgians have the upper hand with circa €10m on the table compared to the €8m for Freiburg, but the decision will be made soon.

Engelhardt also spent last season on loan, at Borussia Monchengladbach, and was bought from Fortuna Dusseldorf for €8m in 2024.

There are reports Argentina will start one Serie A player in the World Cup semi-final against England, but it is not going to be Lautaro Martinez of Inter or Como’s Nico Paz.

The big match kicks off in Atlanta on Wednesday at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

The winners go onto the Final on July 19 against either France or Spain to decide who lifts the trophy.

Argentina hoping to defend World Cup title

Argentina were pushed to the limit in the knockout rounds so far in the defence of the title they won in 2022.

They needed extra time to get the better of Cape Verde 3-2, fighting back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2, then again requiring extra time to defeat 10-man Switzerland 3-1.

Inter striker Lautaro Martinez scored off the bench in the quarter-final, but he is again not expected to be in the starting XI tomorrow, with Julian Alvarez preferred as partner to Lionel Messi.

A big surprise mentioned in TyC Sports is that former Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul could be dropped in favour of a more attacking figure.

This could be Giuliano Simeone, brother of Torino forward Giovanni, but more likely is Juventus winger Nico Gonzalez.

He spent this season on loan with Atletico Madrid, but the club has not activated the option to make it permanent.

Although he contributed one assist and featured in five of Argentina’s six games in this World Cup, Nico Gonzalez is yet to start.

Another potential switch for Argentina is to see Nahuel Molina preferred to Gonzalo Montiel at right-back.

Molina is another former Serie A player for Udinese, who has been linked with a possible return for Inter.

Argentina probable line-up: E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Nico Gonzalez, Paredes, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez; Messi, Julian Alvarez

Cristiano Giuntoli assures Marco Carnesecchi and Honest Ahanor will stay with Atalanta under new coach Maurizio Sarri, is quiet on Kerim Alajbegovic, and hits back at Inter over Marco Palestra’s Chelsea move.

The former Napoli and Juventus director was appointed by Atalanta this summer, and held his presentation press conference this afternoon.

You can read the rest of his comments on the failed Ederson transfer to Manchester United here.

Atalanta resist interest in crown jewels

There are plenty of other players who have attracted interest from the Premier League and more Serie A sides, but La Dea are adamant they won’t dismantle their squad.

“We want to keep our jewels,” assured Giuntoli when asked about the Ahanor offers from England.

“There are many rumours around, but we do not want to sell anyone. Carnesecchi will remain with Atalanta, and we are certain this group can do well.”

There have already been some sales, most notably wing-back Palestra to Chelsea after his successful loan spell with Cagliari.

That €50m plus add-ons move was shrouded in controversy, as Inter accused Atalanta and the player’s agent of breaking an agreement.

“Everyone was fully aware of everything that went on. Palestra went to a big club and will represent Italy abroad. We were perfectly fair and correct with all parties,” insisted Giuntoli.

“On the right side we have Raoul Bellanova and Davide Zappacosta, so we’re pleased to have them. We believe that we have a strong squad all over the park, and we’re satisfied with the arrival of Gianluca Gaetano. Atalanta have always been alert for opportunities on the market.”

There have been multiple reports over the last few days that they are pushing hard to sign Bosnia and Herzegovina talent Alajbegovic, beating Roma and Milan to the punch.

“You read many things, we are focused on the pitch,” was Giuntoli’s only response.

The director of sport is not the only new face, because Sarri was hired as the Atalanta coach after his Lazio adventure.

“Sarri has a very clear identity and style of play, so we are convinced this squad has a lot of quality he can draw on, including in the youth academy.

“When you see Atalanta from the outside, you can’t help but fall in love with this project. It has a youth academy that is the envy of the world, there are people here who truly understand football. I accepted in a second when they approached me.”

Atalanta were ‘stunned’ that Manchester United abandoned their Ederson transfer, and confirm ‘he is happy to remain, so we’re working on a new contract.’

The deal had been done last month for €45m including add-ons, but could not be completed until after he had finished his participation in the 2026 World Cup with Brazil.

When he returned from that tournament, Manchester United made him undergo intensive medical tests, then pulled out of the deal, claiming that his knee had shown significant problems.

Atalanta have faith in Ederson

“We were stunned,” confessed director of sport Cristiano Giuntoli during today’s press conference.

“He is happy to remain and we are working on a new contract.”

Ederson had been available for such a good price precisely because his current contract with Atalanta only runs to the end of the season.

However, following the collapse of the move to Manchester United, the 27-year-old is now ready to put pen to paper on an extension in Bergamo.

He first came to Atalanta in 2022 for €22.9m from Salernitana, where he had joined from Corinthians just six months earlier.

Ederson helped them win the Europa League trophy and reach two Coppa Italia Finals with 16 goals and six assists in 180 competitive games.

Juventus are still trying to find a new club for Jonathan David, but there are reports he is more excited by the idea of Paris FC than Trabzonspor.

The centre-forward was a free agent when joining Juve last summer, albeit far from low cost because of the €12.5m in various commissions and signing-on fees, plus the salary at €6m plus €2m bonus net per season.

He struggled with eight goals and five assists in 46 competitive games, and is not suited to coach Luciano Spalletti’s football, so the club is eager to move him on.

David on the market for Juventus

According to Tuttosport and Calciomercato, the first real approach has come from Trabzonspor, but David is not particularly excited by the idea of the Turkish Super Lig.

Instead, a proposal from Paris FC might be more intriguing, considering he impressed in Ligue 1 with LOSC before coming to Juve.

The Canada international scored 109 goals in 232 appearances for LOSC, so feels he could revitalise his career in France.

While Juventus are hoping to get €20-30m from a sale, they know a loan with option to buy might also be feasible.

Torino, who have something of a history with English goalkeepers thanks to Joe Hart, are reportedly pushing to sign Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton.

The Granata are seeking a shot-stopper after deciding Franco Israel was not suited to Serie A football, one year on from his Sporting CP transfer.

Although they had also targeted Paraguay international goalkeeper Orlando Gill, his performances at the 2026 World Cup pushed the price up too much.

Ramsdale now favourite for Torino

Now Sport Mediaset claim Torino have identified Ramsdale as the next big name on their wish list, and feel a deal can be done following Southampton’s relegation.

He spent last season on loan at Newcastle United, and before that played for Arsenal, Sheffield United, Bournemouth and Wimbledon.

The 28-year-old earned five senior caps for England, and he would be the second English goalkeeper at Torino after Joe Hart in 2016-17.

Sky Sport Italia and Sport Mediaset are confident that Ramsdale can be in Serie A this season for the Granata, on loan with an option to buy, as his contract with the Saints runs to June 2028.

Lazio have officially signed Danilho Doekhi as a free agent after his contract with Union Berlin ran down, penning a three-year deal.

The defender turned 28 just a couple of weeks ago and his previous clubs include Ajax and Vitesse, before joining Union Berlin in the summer of 2022.

You can keep up to date with the latest done deals on our transfer liveblog.

Doekhi is a new Lazio player

He landed in Rome yesterday to undergo his medical tests and put pen to paper on a contract at the Stadio Olimpico until June 2029.

There is some Serie A link for the player, because he is the nephew of former Milan man Winston Bogarde.

A central defender, he will go into the squad now coached by Gennaro Gattuso.

Doekhi is the second free agent to join Lazio this summer, after Alfonso Pedraza.

New centre-backs were required after Mario Gila was sold to Milan, while Alessio Romagnoli is heading to Al-Sadd, although the latter has not yet been completed weeks after the clubs reached an agreement.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis outlines his plans for a 70,000-seater stadium, but also warns football clubs are ‘all puppets at the service of UEFA and FIFA, who get rich off us.’

The patron was speaking at the presentation of new coach Max Allegri at the historic Teatro San Carlo today.

Amongst other things, he was asked about the plans to construct a new stadium away from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

“We are working on a new stadium with 70,000 seats and 120 sky boxes,” he revealed.

The areas analysed include the former Q8 refinery in San Giovanni a Teduccio, but this clashes with the local council’s attempts to instead restructure the Stadio Maradona.

De Laurentiis hits out at football structure

De Laurentiis has long been critical of the way the financial side of football is run, and aims to bring some of his experience as a Hollywood movie producer to this world.

“There is not a big gap in football terms between Serie A and other leagues, but rather one of legislation from one country to the next,” he added.

“We continue working within a football world that is not run by us. We clubs ought to be the ones in charge, but instead we are run by institutions who make themselves rich off our backs, and the same goes for many other leagues.

“In Italy, just as in England, there are some clubs that are of a certain standing, yet if you look at their balance sheets, they too end up running at a loss, even with three or four times our revenue.

“That means something in football does not work for a whole series of reasons.”

De Laurentiis has also been bitterly critical of the higher institutions of the sport, and particularly the rapport between clubs and international football.

“In Europe we are all puppets at the service of UEFA and FIFA, who effectively get rich off us. It’s not even possible to get a good look at their finances to study them.”

Roma have reportedly made the first offer to Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho, on loan with option to buy for total €40m, but also approached West Ham for Crysencio Summerville.

The Giallorossi are ready to begin building their team for the Champions League after ending a seven-year absence from the competition.

The priority is to give coach Gian Piero Gasperini some attacking wingers to suit his style of football.

Garnacho next on Roma list after Greenwood

With Mason Greenwood finally agreeing every detail of his transfer to Fenerbahce this evening, for €40m plus €2m add-ons and a salary at €10m per season, the next target is Garnacho.

Sky Sport Italia transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio claims that Roma have made the first formal proposal for Garnacho, a loan for €5m with option to make it permanent for another €35m.

The option could become an obligation if certain conditions were met.

That is not all, because the same source also notes that Roma have approached West Ham United for Summerville, fresh from participation in the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands where he scored two goals and provided two assists.

The 24-year-old is not going to remain after the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League, but there is a lot of competition for his signature, including Galatasaray, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Another candidate for Roma is Diego Moreira, with a proposal to Strasbourg worth €30m plus a 10 per cent of the future sale fee.

Marco Palestra’s agent hit back angrily at Inter President Beppe Marotta and reveals when Chelsea got involved. ‘Over 45 days, Inter never reached an agreement with Atalanta.’

The Italy international had been on the verge of joining Inter last month in a deal believed to be worth €40m plus €5m add-ons.

However, before they could shake hands, Chelsea dived in with a proposal worth a good €10m more to Atalanta, and with double the salary on offer at San Siro.

Inter President Marotta bitterly criticised Palestra today during a press conference and mentioned agent Alessandro Lucci too.

“Take the case of Palestra, for example. It was the result of a decision made by the player, who backed out of a verbal agreement,” said Marotta.

“His agent could have steered him in a different direction, but chose this path instead, and we had to accept seeing another Italian player move to a league that is not in direct competition with ours.”

Palestra agent replies to Inter attack

Lucci did not take that lying down and has now given a statement to news agency ANSA.

“I listened with great sadness and at the same time enormous shock at the words of Inter President Marotta, who I’ve had a professional rapport with for over 25 years, doing many deals together,” said Palestra’s agent.

“The Inter directors, represented by Piero Ausilio, carried on constant and constructive talks with us on the opportunity to complete this transfer.

“However, the element that decided the outcome was not described accurately in today’s press conference. Over 45 days the two clubs, who were in daily contact, were never able to reach a definitive agreement.

“This allowed Chelsea, with whom contact began only two weeks earlier, as I had quickly informed the two clubs, burst in during the final days and sealed a deal with Atalanta, the player and with us to close the move rapidly.

“At this point, I hope that we can all turn the page and look to the future with calm, without more attacks as a pretext against a player who deserves respect.”

It was no secret that several months ago Palestra was approached by Inter and told them he would be more than happy to wait it out for a move to San Siro.

However, the failure to work out a deal with Atalanta stalled the process, and ultimately Chelsea came in with an equally strong project.

It is not the first time that Inter have struggled to agree terms with Atalanta, as they also came close with no progress for Ademola Lookman and Ederson.

Cagliari have officially signed Jacopo Fazzini from Fiorentina, on loan with an option to buy for a total €8m, with Harry Winks set to follow from Leicester City.

The Sardinians are very active on the transfer market this summer after securing their coach Fabio Pisacane to a new and improved contract.

Both Fazzini and Winks landed at the airport today, where they were greeted by media and supporters, then went to complete their medical tests.

Fazzini and Winks to Cagliari

The club released a statement this evening confirming that Fazzini has signed on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season from Fiorentina.

It is widely reported that the total cost of the transfer will be around €8m.

The Italian midfielder started out in the Empoli youth academy, then was sold to Fiorentina in the summer of 2025 for €9.3m.

However, he dropped down the pecking order once Paolo Vanoli replaced Stefano Pioli and was not wanted by new coach Fabio Grosso either.

As for Winks, he was eager to leave Leicester City following their latest relegation to the English equivalent of Serie C.

Alex Jimenez is officially a Fiorentina player, on loan with an option to buy from Bournemouth, where he was forced to leave under a cloud after suspended for inappropriate messages.

The deal was somewhat surprisingly done last week, and he was already in Florence to undergo medical tests.

It’s widely believed the move is worth a total of €20m plus a 30 per cent cut of the future sale fee, if the option to make it permanent is taken up at the end of the season.

It is reported that the option has several clauses making it an obligation to buy, including once he reaches 30 appearances with the Viola.

Jimenez is training with Fiorentina

Although Fiorentina have not yet formally announced the signature, his contract has been deposited with the Lega Serie A, and he participated in the first day of pre-season training.

The 21-year-old has experience of Serie A already, having been at Milan from 2023 until his move to Bournemouth in September 2025.

That was a loan with obligation to buy for a total of €20m.

The return to Serie A was rather forced upon him, because the Telegraph newspaper note that Jimenez is currently suspended by the Football Association in England.

He was formally excluded from playing domestically in this country while it investigates claims he direct messaged a 15-year-old girl on social media.

The allegations with screenshots were made in May, after which he was dropped from the Bournemouth squad.

“AFC Bournemouth are aware of posts circulating on social media involving right-back, Alex Jiménez,” read a statement from the Premier League side in May.

“The club understand the seriousness of the matter and it is currently being investigated.”

Milan had their first training session under new coach Ruben Amorim today and there were already some surprises, including Samuel Chukwueze following in Amad Diallo’s Manchester United footsteps.

The Rossoneri began their pre-season training today at the Milanello ground, complete with RedBird patron Gerry Cardinale flying in and out by helicopter.

Fans were present to watch the game between ranks and get their first idea of how they will play under Amorim.

Chukwueze given new role by Amorim

It was already known that a 3-4-2-1 formation was likely, but the big surprise was seeing striker Chukwueze instead used wide right of the four-man midfield.

This is not entirely out of character for the coach, who had after all used Amad Diallo there for Manchester United during his ill-fated experience at Old Trafford.

Chukwueze is usually an attacking winger on the right flank, so could’ve been one of the support strikers in this system, but is instead placed in a deeper role.

He returned to Milan after a loan spell at Fulham last season, where he scored three goals and provided four assists in 25 games.

The first Milan goal of pre-season was scored by youngster Andrej Kostic.

Andrea Pirlo is the new favourite to take over as Italy coach, claims La Gazzetta dello Sport, as Paolo Maldini and Leonardo hope to reunite with a former Milan teammate.

The Nazionale can begin taking shape now that the decision has finally been made to appoint a technical director, a role that until now did not exist within the Azzurri set-up.

Maldini is in charge now along with his consultant Leonardo of choosing who will sit on the bench when Italy begin their Nations League campaign in September.

Pirlo emerges as Italy candidate

Until now, Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini had been the main contenders for a return to the job, along with the audacious idea of approaching Pep Guardiola.

However, the Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Pirlo is emerging as a genuine candidate.

The 47-year-old was of course part of the squad that won the 2006 World Cup, and he is currently a coach in Dubai with United FC.

His management experience is limited to Juventus in 2020-21, where he won the Coppa Italia, then in the Turkish Super Lig with Karagumruk, and a brief spell at Sampdoria that ended in August 2024.

Pirlo knows both Maldini and Leonardo well from their time together at the successful Milan side, where the midfielder played from 2001 to 2011.

It is reported that Maldini had wanted to hire him as the coach of Milan in 2023.

Unlike the other alternatives on the list, Pirlo’s wage demands would not break the bank of the FIGC.

After turning down reported offers of over €25m for Trevoh Chalobah, it’s now reported in Italy that Chelsea are frustrated Inter and Como are looking elsewhere.

The defender is currently at the World Cup with England preparing for Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina, but his future remains up in the air.

A bidding war had broken out for the 27-year-old, between Serie A sides Inter and Como, but the asking price of €35m has put them off.

Chalobah too expensive for Inter and Como

Another change was the Gazzetta dello Sport report last week that the two Italian clubs had agreed on a pact not to one-up each other, so Como backed off Chalobah and instead focused on Galatasaray defender Davinson Sanchez.

Now Sportitalia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà and Sky Sport Italia both claim that Chelsea have contacted Inter and Como to ask if they are still interested in Chalobah.

The excessive asking price has put both off, so they are currently looking at other targets instead.

It is not just the Chelsea demand that is causing problems, but also the salary his agents are requesting.

Inter have the added problem of now needing to seek a new wing-back, seeing as Marco Palestra was poached by Chelsea and Anan Khalaili failed a medical.

Napoli are finally beginning to progress in pre-season, as new coach Max Allegri arrived ahead of tomorrow’s press conference, while Antonio Vergara has agreed an improved contract.

The Partenopei have been fairly static compared to many of the other Serie A sides so far this summer, as they are forced to sell players before they can bring any more in.

Allegri lands for Napoli presentation

Massimiliano Allegri è arrivato a #Napoli

A Napoli è tutto pronto per l’era #Allegri: domani alle ore 11:30 l’allenatore toscano verrà presentato al Teatro San Carlo. La conferenza sarà visibile in diretta su #Sportitalia

@Vincicrede pic.twitter.com/caltYRAfBP

— Sportitalia (@tvdellosport) July 13, 2026

They were also urged to wait until recently to finally announce Allegri as their coach, as first he had to terminate his existing contract with Milan after his sudden dismissal.

The tactician arrived in Naples this evening and he will be presented to the media at the historic Teatro San Carlo on Tuesday at 11.30 local time.

Meanwhile, multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia and Fabrizio Romano all confirm that today Napoli agreed a contract extension with Vergara.

It will be an improved salary for the youth academy product, starting at €1m per season and rising, and run to June 2031.

The 23-year-old creative midfielder and winger had been on the verge of an exit on loan last season, but ended up having a starring role due to the injury crisis reducing other options.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Watford have agreed a deal with Bologna for goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, on loan with an option to buy that could become an obligation.

The details of the arrangement are that this is a one-season loan with an option to buy at the end of the term.

However, the condition to activate the obligation and make it permanent would be Watford earning promotion into the Premier League.

There is a very Italian feel developing at Watford, because their coach is Alessio Dionisi, and they had already brought in Edoardo Bove as a free agent last term.

Ravaglia ready to leave Bologna

Ravaglia would regularly challenge first choice Lukasz Skorupski for the gloves at Bologna, so is perhaps hoping to get more regular playing time at Watford.

The 26-year-old came up through the Bologna youth academy, going on a series of loans to Sudtirol, Gubbio, Frosinone and Reggina, until returning to the Stadio Dall’Ara in 2023.

Last season, the goalkeeper made 25 competitive appearances between Serie A, the Europa League, Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia.

He kept two clean sheets and conceded 45 goals.

Danilho Doekhi has arrived in Rome to join Lazio as a free agent after his contract with Union Berlin expires, ready to sign until June 2029.

The defender was filmed this afternoon landing in the airport in the Eternal City, where he was whisked to a meeting where he finalised the details of the agreement.

He is already having his medical tests and can now put pen to paper on a three-year contract.

Doekhi lands for Lazio

Doekhi celebrated his 28^th birthday a couple of weeks ago and is a free agent after his contract with Union Berlin was allowed to expire on June 30.

His previous clubs include Ajax and Vitesse, moving to Germany for free in the summer of 2022.

There is a family connection to Serie A, as he is the nephew of former Milan player Winston Bogarde.

Lazio are in need of new defenders after selling Mario Gila to Milan and agreeing the transfer of Alessio Romagnoli to Al-Sadd, although the latter has not been finalised yet.

Fiorentina and Fenerbahce made a late attempt to sign free agent Zeki Celik, but the Turkiye international has reportedly already agreed to sign a new contract with Roma.

The 29-year-old is currently free to do as he wishes, because his contract with the Giallorossi expired on June 30.

This has made him an appetising prospect on the transfer market, with Fenerbahce making a proposal, while Fiorentina have also seemingly approached the versatile defender.

Celik eager to remain at Roma

However, the Corriere dello Sport reporter Eleonora Trotta insists that it is all in vain, because Celik has already agreed to sign a new contract at Roma.

Much like his teammate Paulo Dybala, who put pen to paper earlier today, the deal is to take a pay cut in order to fit within the new financial parameters at the Stadio Olimpico.

Celik is expected to earn circa €3m per season at Roma, who have just sealed their return to the Champions League.

He first joined Roma in the summer of 2022 from Lille at a cost of €7.4m plus a 15 per cent cut of the sell-on fee, going on to make 151 competitive appearances for the club with two goals and 10 assists.

Lecce are the favourites to snap up Scotland Under-21 international striker Robbie Ure, currently at IK Sirius, but seem a long way off the €4m asking price.

According to Sportitalia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà, the Salentini are in active pursuit of the 22-year-old centre-forward.

However, their proposal so far is believed to be just €1.8m plus a 20-25 per cent cut of his future sale fee.

That is nowhere near the asking price set by Swedish club Sirius, which is of €4m plus add-ons and a percentage of the sell-on fee.

Lecce face tough fight for Ure

While Ure is open to the idea of playing in Serie A at the Stadio Via del Mare, getting a deal over the line could be another matter.

There is no shortage of interest, with the likes of Celtic, OGC Nice, TSG Hoffenheim, FC Lorient and RC Strasbourg all sniffing around the forward.

Originally coming through the Glasgow Rangers academy, he moved to Belgium for RSCA Futures in 2023, then to Sweden in March 2025.

Aston Villa are intensifying talks with Milan for Pervis Estupinan, as a replacement for Lucas Digne after Paris Saint-Germain decided to activate his release clause.

It has been a tough day for Aston Villa, because in the space of a few hours they learned that Manchester United would pay the €41m to trigger the clause for €41m, then that Paris Saint-Germain would do the same for Digne at circa €10m.

That won’t be completed until after Digne has finished playing in the World Cup with France, but it is a heads up for the Birmingham club to seek a replacement.

Estupinan to fill Digne gap at Aston Villa

It had already been suggested that Aston Villa were pursuing Estupinan, and that is now confirmed by transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano and others.

The 28-year-old was something of a flop after his €17m plus €2m add-ons move from Brighton and Hove Albion last year, so this would be an opportunity to go back to the Premier League.

Estupinan contributed one goal and one assist, along with one red card, in his total 22 competitive appearances for the Rossoneri last season.

New coach Ruben Amorim would prefer other profiles for the left flank, and so a sale should not be difficult to organise.

Anan Khalaili looked to the Quran for guidance after his Inter dream move was shattered by a failed medical, as irregularities were discovered.

The Arab-Israeli player had been in Italy since last week undergoing various tests, including those at club level, to complete the €30m transfer from Union Saint-Gilloise.

Why Khalaili move was blocked

However, every athlete who comes to compete for an Italian side must also receive a certificate of health from the CONI (Italian Olympic Committee), and these are far more stringent than in other countries.

They include cardiac stress tests, and irregularities were spotted that meant Khalaili would not be given permission to work in Italian football.

Now he will return to Union Saint-Gilloise for further examinations, to see if any treatment or further investigation is required.

Khalaili broke his silence with an Instagram Stories showing him in prayer, with a verse from the Quran.

“Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you.”

The rest of the verse notes that “Allah knows and you do not know,” so he is hoping that God has a plan for this twist in his life and career.

Italian rules on these fitness tests are extremely strict, which is why players like Edoardo Bove and Christian Eriksen were forced to leave Serie A to continue their careers elsewhere.

Other leagues would allow for players to have implanted defibrillators, but the Italian legislation does not.

Italian reports suggest Roma turned down a €40m offer from Atletico Madrid for Manu Koné, but would be ready to sell if they, Manchester United or Liverpool came in with at least €60m.

The midfielder had already been targeted by Inter in recent months and was given a price tag of €50m, but that has risen considerably thanks to his stellar performances for France at the 2026 World Cup.

As they prepare to face Spain in the semi-final tomorrow evening, his profile continues to soar and attract attention.

Kone asking price will not budge

According to the Corriere dello Sport, Roma received a bid from Atletico Madrid worth just €40m and rejected it outright this summer.

That is not going to be enough to make them sell, especially now that Manchester United and Liverpool look prepared to spark a Premier League bidding war.

Roma have never disguised that the 25-year-old is potentially on the transfer market, but also that they will only part with Koné if a suitable offer arrives.

He was purchased from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2024 for just €18m plus up to a further €2m in add-ons.

Roma owner Ryan Friedkin is expected at the Trigoria training camp today for talks with coach Gian Piero Gasperini and new director of sport Tony D’Amico to clarify their transfer strategy.

Juventus director Giovanni Carnevali warns Paris Saint-Germain ‘demands are too high’ for Randal Kolo Muani and they could look elsewhere, but they ‘do not need’ Davide Frattesi from Inter.

The Bianconeri have been negotiating with PSG practically since the moment he arrived on loan in January 2025, but never seem to reach a new agreement.

That loan cost €3.6m and was extended to cover the Club World Cup in July 2025, but then he was loaned out to Tottenham Hotspur and sent back to base this summer.

Talks continue to drag on for a new deal, but even Carnevali now admits the situation is not progressing fast enough.

Juventus ready to give up on Kolo Muani

“The demands are too high, so either we reach an agreement, or we will turn to a different player,” confessed the Juventus chief on RAI GR Parlamento radio.

As Juve refuse to reach the €40m asking price, Paris Saint-Germain have begun talks for Kolo Muani with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

“The cost of players is growing constantly, with figures that are practically impossible, while Serie A club revenue cannot keep up with the likes of the Premier League,” continued Carnevali.

“We need to reduce costs and have an economic balance, which is difficult to achieve. There’s no point denying it, you can all see that our league is in a situation of stasis for the transfer market.”

A cheaper option within Serie A for the midfield would be Frattesi, who is on the market at Inter, but Carnevali insists Juventus can be ruled out of that race.

“Frattesi is an extraordinary lad who would do well at all big clubs, but we do not need a player of his characteristics.”

Juventus are trying to offload flop Lois Openda, but after a Coventry City approach, his old club RC Lens are eager to bring him back, with one significant problem.

The Belgium international was a costly disaster on the transfer market last summer, signed from RB Leipzig on loan for €3.25m with an obligation to buy at the end of the season for a further €42.75m plus add-ons.

Had it only been an option and not an obligation, the Bianconeri certainly would not have made the move permanent after a pitiful two goals in 34 competitive games.

Openda not wanted by Juventus

Now Juve are trying to find someone to take Openda off their hands, and Footmercato in France point to one of his former clubs, RC Lens.

He played there in the 2022-23 season, impressing so much with 21 goals and four assists in 38 games that he earned an immediate €40m transfer to RB Leipzig.

The idea would be for RC Lens to bring him back in on loan, but the source warns that in order to make it work, Juventus would have to cover a large portion of his wages.

Unlike Juve, RC Lens have qualified for the Champions League this term, so can give him the chance to play regularly at the top level.

Harry Winks and Jacopo Fazzini have arrived in Cagliari to complete their transfers from Leicester City and Fiorentina respectively. ‘I’m really happy to be back in Italy,’ said the England midfielder.

The Sardinians have done the double deal and both landed this afternoon at the airport, greeted by media and supporters.

Parma had also been interested in Fazzini, who was struggling for playing time at Fiorentina.

It’s reported he has made the move to Cagliari on loan with an option to buy for circa €8m.

Winks and Fazzini join Cagliari

 

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As for Winks, his contract with Leicester City was due to expire at the end of the season, and he was eager to move on following their relegation.

This represents a return to Italy for the 30-year-old, who already had a loan experience from Tottenham Hotspur to Sampdoria in the 2022-23 campaign.

“I’m really happy to be back in Italy and I can’t wait to meet my new teammates,” Winks told the reporters.

“I learned a lot at Sampdoria.”

The pair will have their medical tests today and then sign the contracts, ready to begin pre-season training under coach Fabio Pisacane.

“It is the right moment to come here for my career,” said Fazzini.

“I spoke to the coach and he convinced me too.”

Paulo Dybala assures signing a new contract with Roma was ‘what we all wanted’ and is looking forward to continuing his career at the Stadio Olimpico.

The decision had been in the air for many weeks, even though his contract had technically already expired on June 30.

He had plenty of other proposals, including from his beloved Boca Juniors, and lucrative salaries on offer in the Saudi Pro League.

However, he opted to sign a new contract at Roma on a reduced wage of circa €3m per season, with an expiry of June 2027.

Dybala glad to continue at Roma

“This story continues, which is what we all wanted,” Dybala told the official club website.

“That’s the club, me, and I hope the fans too. I am happy to have another season here, in this city and this country, and to be able to defend the Roma jersey, which is a privilege.”

Something that inevitably affected his decision to remain was the fact that Roma qualified for the Champions League, earning their place back in the top competition after a seven-year absence.

“Roma means many things for me, responsibility, honour, beauty. On a personal level too, these elements all kept me here, and it is a real honour to wear this shirt.”

Dybala was asked if he had a message for the fans, especially after season tickets were snapped up in their thousands on the first day alone.

“I am happy to be here with you again for next year too, and to see you at the Olimpico and in away games, especially when the wonderful music plays that we were all waiting to hear, so we can make you proud on European nights.”

The 32-year-old Argentina international had arrived as a free agent from Juventus in 2022, having first come to Italy for Palermo in 2012.

Ci vediamo all'Olimpico #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/TFVsRj6XKT

— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) July 13, 2026

New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso confirms Roma and Napoli target Alejandro Garnacho is not part of their plans. ‘Hopefully it finishes in the best possible way for all parties.’

The winger was only purchased last year from Manchester United at a cost of €46.2m, but struggled to get any regular playing time.

Chelsea admit Garnacho is for sale

It had already been reported that he was not going to remain at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer, and that was effectively confirmed by Alonso in today’s presentation press conference.

“We have spoken with the sporting directors and there is interest in hm from other clubs. Let’s see how it develops. Hopefully it finishes in the best possible way for all parties,” said Alonso.

Serie A clubs are certainly interested, above all Roma and Napoli, although both are hoping to get Garnacho on loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Chelsea have set an asking price of around €50m, but with a long-term contract and large salary, a loan with option to buy might be their best bet.

The 22-year-old scored eight goals with four assists in 43 competitive games for Chelsea last season, though only 22 of those were in the starting XI.

Goncalo Ramos is showing just how eager he is to start his new Milan adventure, arriving at the training camp today despite still being on vacation after the World Cup with Portugal.

The striker completed his transfer from Paris Saint-Germain at a cost of anywhere from €74m to €90m, depending on various reports and bonuses.

He was participating in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico with Portugal, and as that experience just concluded in the quarter-final, he is due several more weeks of vacation time.

Goncalo Ramos pays surprise Milan visit

𝐕𝐎𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐈 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍

Sorpresa a Milanello: Gonçalo Ramos nonostante sia ancora in ferie è venuto a fare un primo salto e parlare con Ruben Amorim

Valeria Lippera per https://t.co/jlTDBgF49e#ramos #milanello #milanpress pic.twitter.com/C3Cr7nticv

— MilanPress.it (@MilanPress_it) July 13, 2026

However, Ramos proved his enthusiasm by arriving at the Milanello training camp today for a surprise visit accompanied by his family.

The striker was greeted by coach Ruben Amorim and club owner Gerry Cardinale, then taken to meet his new teammates.

It’s believed he wanted to get a good idea of the training facilities before coming to work in earnest over the summer, and will now return to Lisbon for more vacation time.

This was no ordinary day, as it was the first of pre-season training with the whole squad coming together.

 

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Cristian Chivu insists Inter ‘do not fear anybody’ in Serie A or Europe, will wipe the slate clean after winning the Double, and has fresh ideas for Benjamin Pavard and Andy Diouf.

Last season was his first full campaign in Serie A, yet he finished it with the Serie A and Coppa Italia trophies, so now the pressure is on to continue that extraordinary start.

Pre-season training begins today at the Appiano Gentile ground, so the coach sat down with Inter President Beppe Marotta for a press conference.

Chivu and Inter won’t stop at the Double

“The most important thing right now is motivation, because it’s never enough in terms of ambition and what we want to do next. It was a strong season, but we don’t want to stop here,” said Chivu.

“I have 50 games under my belt now, no longer 13. I’ll do my best, we want to be competitive on every front, and have the ambition to do even better than last year.”

Inter are revitalising the squad, as veterans like Yann Sommer, Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Denzel Dumfries have left.

“We lost players who wrote the history books here, and we want to thank them. We have a mixture of youth and experience, our squad is competitive. We want to have intensity and courage, without complaining.”

While last year so many coaches insisted the target was a top four finish, Chivu stood out by never hiding the depth of his ambition to win the Scudetto.

So he has a similar approach this time around when going in as reigning Champions of Italy.

“We do not fear anybody,” assured the Inter coach.

“I have nothing to prove, if not to myself. I still have a lot of responsibilities, doubts and duties towards these lads, even if I lifted two trophies last season, we always start from scratch.”

Whereas they excelled domestically in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, Chivu’s Inter did not go far in the Champions League, crashing out in the play-offs.

“You cannot have everything in life. We got two games wrong, but I take the positives from the experience. We lost at the last second to both Atletico Madrid and Liverpool, I took responsibility for my mistakes in the play-offs, but we overall played on level terms with everyone.

“I’d like us to improve in our courage, being more determined and going for the victory, not resting on our laurels. We can always be the best version of ourselves.

“I don’t think about what we won, but about what we need to do.”

When it comes to the transfer market, Chivu gave an update on the Benjamin Pavard situation after his failed loan at Olympique Marseille.

“He is our player, we all know the choices he made last year. He’s back now, we’ll see him at work, and then make a decision.”

The search for a Dumfries replacement has been tortuous, as first Chelsea poached Marco Palestra, then Anan Khalaili failed his medical, ending the move from Union Saint-Gilloise.

Instead, Chivu revealed he has a cunning plan to revitalise his squad.

“I have this crazy idea to use Andy Diouf as a wing-back, and at times in games he really does have the right courage to take men on. He changed some games like that, for example against Como.

“There will be matches where he is used in midfield, but I like him as a wing-back, he has characteristics we are lacking.”

Inter President Beppe Marotta has confirmed that Anan Khalaili failed his medical with the Italian authorities, so the €30m move from Union Saint-Gilloise is off. ‘The rules are very strict.’

The transfer had been agreed for €25m plus add-ons, and the Israel international underwent his regular club tests with no problems.

However, before joining an Italian club, he also needed to go through the strict CONI (Italian Olympic Committee) medical stress tests, and these flagged irregularities.

The player underwent another day of testing today, but although more were expected tomorrow, Inter President Marotta announced during this afternoon’s press conference that the decision had already been made.

Khalaili cannot play in Serie A

“We had negotiated the purchase of Khalaili, but he failed the medical tests, the CONI just informed us and I wanted to let you all know,” said Marotta.

“In Italy there are very strict rules on medical tests, so it is not a choice made by the club, we simply have to accept it, because this is about looking after the health of the player.

“When the CONI don’t give the certificate, he is not allowed to participate in any official sporting event in Italy.

“It’s sad, because we had carried on the negotiations with great effort, but now unfortunately we will have to think about an alternative.”

The stress tests largely focus on cardiology, so when Khalaili returns to Union Saint-Gilloise, he will have to deal with the medical staff there on any required treatment.

Italian rules are extremely strict, to the degree that players with an implanted defibrillator like Edoardo Bove and Christian Eriksen have been forced to continue their careers outside of Serie A.

Khalaili was set to be the replacement for Denzel Dumfries, who has joined Real Madrid for the €20m release clause in his contract.

“Dumfries preferred to conclude his career at a prestigious club like Real Madrid, so we had to find a substitute. Some of the fees going around are crazy, which make Italian football a mere spectator compared to the role we had in the past,” added Marotta.

They had been on the verge of an agreement worth €50m with Atalanta for Marco Palestra, only to be blown out of the water by a much bigger proposal from Chelsea.

Inter President Beppe Marotta feels retaining the Scudetto would be ‘an historic achievement,’ but they also ‘must do better in the Champions League’ while competing with financial powerhouses.

Their pre-season training started today at the Appiano Gentile complex, where they are going into the new season as the reigning Champions of Italy, having won both the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia.

Marotta raises the bar for Inter

“We are privileged to be here starting the new season as reigning holders of the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles,” said Marotta in his press conference.

“We’re very proud of two hard-fought victories, won thanks to our work ethic, sense of belonging, and the abilities of the coach, players and support of the club.

“Now we start by wiping the slate clean. We have fresh objectives, we are the only team participating in four competitions: Serie A, Champions League, Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia. The Supercoppa will be just a one-off game with Lazio.”

It was a largely unexpected success story considering the change of coach from Simone Inzaghi to Cristian Chivu, but the trade-off was a poor Champions League showing this time around.

“These are all prestigious targets, but we must do better in the Champions League,” continued Marotta.

“Last season we went out to Bodo/Glimt, but that’s part of what makes this sport so wonderful.”

The attempts to revitalise the squad this summer have been hit hard by failed bidding wars, most notably losing Marco Palestra to Chelsea.

“We are well aware that we have difficulties and are up against European powerhouses, also in terms of their investment capabilities, but we participate with our work ethic that has always helped us stand out.

“It’s not guaranteed that whoever spends the most money will then win, but we can substitute money with a winning project thanks to consistency, quality, value of players and many other situations,” insisted the Inter President.

While the Champions League remains a target, Marotta warns that domestically the bar keeps getting raised too.

“Since 2020, no team has been able to win two Serie A titles in a row, so this can be an historic achievement. Our enemy within is the risk of feeling sated, so we must resist that at all costs, maintain the hunger that got us to these results.

“We must also do that via a sustainable modus operandi. The football world often sees clubs go bankrupt, and we know that our owners Oaktree arrived during a moment of difficulty. Now we are out of the Settlement Agreement with UEFA, they invested and accepted our needs to improve the infrastructure with €100,000 of investment in the Interello camp.

“Sustainability also means using our youth academy, as we have easily four players who can be used in Europe, whereas other clubs are struggling to meet those criteria. We also have the Under-23 team, the women’s team, all this make us a successful club.

“We’re missing something big lately, but we will try to achieve it, aware of our capabilities, and keep raising the bar.”

Turkish football continues looking to Serie A with reports Trabzonspor have started talks with Bologna for Riccardo Orsolini, who they see as an alternative to Gianluca Prestianni of Benfica.

There are strong bonds growing between the two football nations, as shown by the fact Vincenzo Montella is the coach of the Turkiye national team and Besiktas just hired Vincenzo Italiano.

Orsolini on radar for Trabzonspor

According to Fanatik, now Trabzonspor have set their sights on Bologna winger Orsolini, as the 29-year-old is only a few months away from the end of his contract.

He has been at the Stadio Dall’Ara since 2018 after his €15m move from Juventus, and has two goals in 13 senior caps for Italy.

The versatile winger can play on the right or left, but prefers the right so he can cut inside and shoot with his left foot.

Orsolini scored 14 goals with one assist in 51 competitive games for the Rossoblu last season.

It’s reported that Prestianni remains the first choice for Trabzonspor, but they see the Italian as a valid alternative.

Inter are in contact with free agent John Stones, claim reports in Italy, but the former Manchester City man would not be considered a first choice for central defence.

This is not the first time that the 32-year-old has been linked with a possible move to Serie A this summer, seeing as his contract with Manchester City was allowed to run down.

He still has much to give, as confirmed by the fact he is playing for England at the 2026 World Cup and now preparing for Wednesday’s semi-final against Argentina.

Stones offered to various Serie A sides

Napoli and Juventus had been in talks, but didn’t seem particularly eager to pursue the deal.

Now Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà claims that Inter are in direct negotiations with Stones and his entourage.

However, it is noted that this would only be if Benjamin Pavard was first sold, and that Stones would not be guaranteed regular playing time, as he is not a first choice at centre-back for the Italian giants.

Other clubs who have been linked with the free agent include Bayern Munich and Olympique Marseille, but his salary demands and signing-on fee requests are putting some off.

Sky Sport Italia report that Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic must choose between three Premier League sides, Leeds United, Bournemouth and Sunderland.

While transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano notes that Leeds United are the most confident of achieving a deal, having presented a verbal proposal to the centre-back, this is by no means to be taken for granted.

Muharemovic heading to Premier League

Instead, Sky Sport Italia expert Gianluca Di Marzio claims this evening that a final decision will be made over the next few days, with two other Premier League teams definitely still in the running.

They are named as Bournemouth and Sunderland by the Italian reporters.

Newcastle United have also been mentioned earlier today by the Corriere dello Sport and Sportitalia.

Sassuolo set an asking price of €40m, aware that 50 per cent of that will go to his former club Juventus.

The Bianconeri had also been interested in bringing the Bosnia and Herzegovina international back to Turin, especially as they would effectively get him half-price, but ultimately decided against it.

Muharemovic was in the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad at the World Cup this summer and turned 23 in February.

Lazio are in advanced negotiations for two new central defenders, Dinamo Zagreb’s Sergi Dominguez and free agent Danilho Doekhi, but probably not Diogo Leite.

The Aquile are forced to revamp their squad following the sale of Alessio Romagnoli to Al-Sadd and Mario Gila to Milan.

Lazio want both Doekhi and Sergi Dominguez

Multiple sources including transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano claim that talks are at an advanced stage to snap up free agent Doekhi, whose contract with Union Berlin ran down.

The 28-year-old has been linked with numerous other clubs, including Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Sportitalia insist that Lazio are also pushing hard to secure Sergi Dominguez from Dinamo Zagreb.

They already agreed personal terms with the former Barcelona man, but reaching the €12m asking price set by his club is proving more difficult.

Lazio director Angelo Maria Fabiani travelled to Croatia for the talks earlier this week, but the proposal of a loan worth €3.5m and option to buy for another €8m was rejected.

Now they are hoping to step up the process with a new bid that can convince Dinamo Zagreb to sell the 21-year-old.

Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà also notes that while Lazio did ask after free agent Diogo Leite, they are not intent at this moment on pushing on with talks.

The Portugal international reportedly turned down a move to the Saudi Pro League today.

As expected, Fiorentina have left Robin Gosens and Jacopo Fazzini out of pre-season training, but quite a few others are frozen out too by new coach Fabio Grosso.

The Viola had a dismal campaign, spending most of it in the relegation zone and only surging at the end to secure their Serie A status.

They intend to completely revamp the side under Grosso, and have already been very active on the transfer market.

That is far from over, as today the club announced the list of 29 players called up for pre-season training at the Viola Park complex in Florence on Monday.

It had already been widely reported that Gosens was informed he wasn’t part of their plans, and indeed he has been excluded from the group.

So has Fazzini, who is on the verge of a move to Cagliari, while impressive teenager striker Riccardo Braschi is heading to Padova on loan.

More players left out include those who are returning to Fiorentina after loans, and who evidently are not expected to remain.

They are Riccardo Sottil, M’Bala Nzola, Amir Richardson, Antonin Barak and Paolo Bianco.

Fabiano Parisi will continue working separately following the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, while Marin Pongracic has extra vacation time after the World Cup with Croatia.

Alex Jimenez has not yet completed his transfer, but will be added to the group once that is done with Bournemouth.

Fiorentina squad for pre-season training

Christensen, De Gea, Fei, Lezzerini; Balbo, Beldenti, Comuzzo, Dodo, Dragusin, Viery, Fortini, Moreno, Ranieri, Melani, Perrotti; Atta, Brescianini, Croci, Deli, Fabbian, Fagioli, Mandragora, Ndour, Sohm, Pirrò; Egharevba, Gudmundsson, Kean, Piccoli

Udinese are in a bidding war for Partizan Belgrade midfielder Ognjen Ugresic at €6m, competing with Sassuolo, Bologna, Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt and AS Monaco.

According to Tuttomercatoweb transfer pundit Marco Conterio, the Friulani have made a proposal worth €6m to the Serbian side.

That would be enough to out-bid fellow Serie A club Sassuolo, who had previously been prepared to offer €5m, while Bologna are also known to be tracking his progress.

Udinese targeting Ugresic

It is reported that Udinese see Ugresic as the ideal replacement for Arthur Atta, who has just completed his transfer to Fiorentina.

There is also interest from the likes of Club Brugge, Eintracht Frankfurt and AS Monaco.

Ugresic will celebrate his 20^th birthday next week and earned his first senior cap for Serbia in October 2025.

He is a product of the Partizan Belgrade youth academy and progressed to the senior squad in January 2025.

The player is primarily an attacking midfielder, but has been known to play in a more advanced role too.

Roma midfielder Manu Koné could be benched in favour of Aurelien Tchaouameni for the World Cup semi-final against Spain, though Milan’s Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot will start.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday evening, with the winner going on to face either Argentina or England in the Final.

According to L’Equipe, Real Madrid midfielder Tchaoumeni has fully recovered from his muscular issues and is going to be risked from the start.

Koné set to step aside for France

He had been replaced by Roma player Koné, who had impressed so much that former Genoa coach Patrick Vieira said he was the best midfielder currently in the France squad.

Nonetheless, the reports from the Bleus camp suggest he will be pushed to the bench for the big match by Tchaouameni.

The Roma star was on the bench for the games against Senegal and Sweden, but started the others with Iraq, Norway, Paraguay and Morocco.

There is still going to be Serie A representation in the form of Milan pair Maignan and Rabiot.

The trio of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappé are untouchable, but the other big choice for Didier Deschamps is between Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola.

Other than that, it is set to be the same XI that beat Morocco in the quarter-final.

Pervis Estupinan is on the market for Milan and transfer pundit Matteo Moretto claims that Aston Villa have asked for his availability.

The left-back was considered one of the less successful investments from last summer, as he was purchased from Brighton and Hove Albion for €17m plus up to €2m in add-ons.

He made only 22 competitive appearances for the Rossoneri last season, contributing one goal and one assist, but also getting sent off once.

Milan don’t want to keep Estupinan

Estupinan is not believed to be part of Milan’s plans under new coach Ruben Amorim, so his agents are looking around for alternative solutions.

According to transfer pundit Moretto on Fabrizio Romano’s Italian-language YouTube channel, Aston Villa have made contact with Milan to ask about the Ecuador international.

They want to know the asking price as well as his fitness status before deciding whether to progress with negotiations.

Estupinan’s previous clubs include Villarreal, Watford, Osasuna and briefly Udinese.

He turned 28 in January and has a contract valid at San Siro until June 2030, with the asking price believed to be €14m.

Argentina’s dramatic extra time win over Switzerland to set up a World Cup semi-final with England was not just a strain for the players on the pitch, but also Como’s Nico Paz off it.

The reigning world champions have stuttered throughout the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Despite playing against 10 men after Breel Embolo’s red card, Argentina were still forced to go to extra time last night, eventually squeezing through 3-1 with Julian Alvarez’s curler and a late Lautaro Martinez goal.

Nico Paz feeling the stress

It took a lot out of the players on the field, and those off it too, as confirmed by Nico Paz.

The 21-year-old Como player revealed on social media that his wearable technology showed his stress levels as ‘high’ during the match, when he was just sitting on the bench.

The technology is worn by all players to monitor their vital signs as well as track their performances on the field.

Nico Paz has made two appearances in the World Cup so far, as a substitute in the 3-0 victory over Algeria, and then starting the 3-1 win over Jordan.

Argentina will play England in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday, with France taking on Spain on Tuesday.

Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki continues to attract new clubs, as Newcastle United are the latest linked after Juventus, Aston Villa and Leeds United.

The shot-stopper had already made a strong name for himself with his Serie A performances, but his profile stepped up several levels thanks to the heroics for Japan at the 2026 World Cup.

He is widely expected to leave the Stadio Tardini this summer and there is no shortage of options for his signature.

Suzuki wanted by many clubs

Now Chronicle Live and Sport Mediaset claim that Newcastle United have held initial talks with Suzuki and his entourage.

They have Nick Pope as their first choice, but he is 34 years old and has only one year left on his contract, while they decided not to sign Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton after a loan.

There is competition, as Juventus have him on their list, as well as Aston Villa and rumours even about Paris Saint-Germain.

Leeds United had been the most determined to sign Suzuki, but it’s reported the goalkeeper turned them down, as he is aiming higher for his next career move.

The big surprise for Italy is the arrival of Leonardo as a special advisor, as FIGC President Giovanni Malagò reveals it was ‘Paolo Maldini’s suggestion’ he be involved.

There were weeks of talks before Maldini finally accepted the role of technical director at the Italy camp, which has been created especially for him to give some structure and consistency to the Nazionale.

It was no secret that he was the first choice for new Federation chief Malagò, but an unexpected part of the announcement was the inclusion of Leonardo as an advisor.

Leonardo takes key role for Italy

“From the start, Paolo told me that he would be happy to bring in Leonardo as a consultant, because there is a lot of work to be done, it’s going to be a tough challenge,” Malagò told TG2 Post.

“I am pleased too, because I have great respect for Leonardo. They are two sides of the same coin.”

The Brazilian turns 57 in September and has had a deep bond with Italian football for many years.

He played for Milan from 1997-2001, then again at the end of his career in 2002-03.

After retirement, Leonardo started work with the Rossoneri as a talent scout, upgraded to technical director for 2008-09, and then as coach in 2009-10.

In a shock move, he then crossed over to city rivals Inter as coach in December 2010, where he remained until the end of the season.

Leonardo has since bounced around different jobs, including as Antalyaspor coach for just a few months in 2017.

He returned to Milan as technical director in 2018-19, where he worked alongside Maldini, and had two different spells at Paris Saint-Germain in 2011-13 and 2019-22.

Alessandro Costacurta claims the choice of Paolo Maldini as Italy technical director is ‘more important than the new coach’ of the Nazionale, while giving insight into the rapport with Leonardo.

After weeks of speculation and talks, the new role of technical director of the Italy squad has finally been filled with the announcement that Maldini will take over running the Azzurri.

Maldini ready to reshape Italy

“This is great news for Italian football, because we have brought in one of the most illuminated and sincere people in the sport,” his former Milan and Italy teammate Costacurta told Sky Sport Italia.

FIGC President Giovanni Malagò confirmed that Maldini was always his first choice for the position, and that now the technical director will be tasked with picking the new coach.

“Malagò made the best possible choice. In fact, picking Maldini is perhaps more important than choosing the new coach,” added Costacurta.

A surprising twist was the introduction of Brazilian Leonardo as a consultant, reuniting the pair who had worked together at Milan.

“They have different characteristics. Leo is more of a dreamer, a visionary, whereas Paolo is more practical, looks to his knowledge and instinct,” noted Costacurta.

“The best thing about them is that they listen to each other, despite starting from different ideas, and always manage to find a common solution.”

Leonardo spent much of his career in Italy, as at Milan he was a player, a talent scout, a coach and a technical director, while he also had one season as coach of rivals Inter.

His most recent job was that of assistant technical director at Paris Saint-Germain.

Having long been a target for Roma, it is reported that Mason Greenwood is heading to Istanbul for a Fenerbahce medical, with precise details of the fee to Olympique Marseille, Manchester United and Getafe.

The Giallorossi made no secret that Greenwood was their first choice for the wide left role in attack, and had been preparing a package close to the €50m asking price.

Roma lose Greenwood to Fenerbahce

However, Fenerbahce took a different route and started talks with the player early, agreeing personal terms on a vastly superior salary worth up to a reported €9m per season.

Now several sources in Turkiye maintain the deal is done, despite late interest from Atletico Madrid and of course Roma.

Because of the deal struck with Manchester United, the Premier League side is owed 40 per cent of the profit.

However, Sport Mediaset argue that Manchester United are instead getting 30 per cent, with an additional 10 per cent going to another of his former clubs, Getafe.

While the Italian sources have the total fee at €45m plus bonus, Fanatik in Turkiye set it at €39.5m plus add-ons, including a significant additional payment in case they win the Super Lig title.

Turkish transfer pundit Yagiz Sabuncuoglu also states that Fenerbahce have agreed all the details with Marseille and the player.

Venezia are on the verge of securing Sevilla striker Akor Adams in a deal worth €16m plus add-ons, as director Filippo Antonelli confirms ‘talks are at a very advanced stage.’

The Nigeria international is 26 years old and  made the move from Montpellier to Sevilla for €5.5m in January 2025.

In the last season, he scored 10 goals with three assists in 32 LaLiga appearances for Sevilla.

Adams close to Venezia move

According to multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia, Sportitalia and Tuttomercatoweb, the agreement is very close to completion.

The fixed fee will be worth around €16m plus performance-related bonuses that are linked to both the personal achievements and those of the team.

“I promise that I will tell you everything once it is all closed,” director of sport Antonelli told reporters during today’s press conference.

“The talks are at a very advanced stage, but there are still some final details to work out.”

Venezia won the Serie B title last season and earned automatic promotion into the top flight.

They have already bolstered the squad with the arrival of Albion Rrahmani from Sparta Prague, Armel Bella-Kotchap from Verona, Ale Gomes from Real Zaragoza, plus free agents Toma Basic and Thierry Correia.

Hamed Junior Traore is expected in Italy for his Genoa medical on Monday, ready to complete a loan with option to buy move from Olympique Marseille for up to €10m.

The initial report of the deal had come from France with Footmercato, suggesting the cost of the operation would be around €8m.

Genoa can pay up to €10m for Traore

Now the Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttomercatoweb point to a figure closer to €10m including add-ons and the cost of the loan fee.

It’s believed that Traore will arrive on Italian soil for his medical tests and to sign the contract on Monday.

He can then travel to join the rest of Daniele de Rossi’s Genoa squad in their pre-season training camp at Moena.

This represents a return to Serie A for the Ivory Coast international, who started out in the Empoli academy before moving on to Sassuolo, Napoli and Auxerre.

The 26-year-old had been sold to Bournemouth in 2023 for €25.6m, but his career stalled due to repeated injury problems, and he moved to Marseille for €7.7m.

Lazio are in talks with defender Danilho Doekhi, claims transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano, as he would be a free agent after leaving Union Berlin.

The Aquile need to completely revamp their defence this summer with the arrival of coach Gennaro Gattuso, and above all the exits of Alessio Romagnoli and Mario Gila.

They already picked up one free agent in the form of left-back Alfonso Pedraza, as the 30-year-old was out of contract with Villarreal.

Lazio looking at Doekhi

According to Romano, their next target is 28-year-old Doekhi, who is available after his deal with Union Berlin ran down on June 30.

The Dutch centre-back has no shortage of other interested parties, including Aston Villa, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Besiktas, Fenerbahce, Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven.

However, most of those approaches were earlier in the summer and the focus on him appears to have cooled, allowing Lazio to push their way into the queue.

A product of the Excelsior and Ajax youth academies, he moved to Union Berlin from Vitesse as a free agent in 2022.

Newly-promoted Frosinone have announced that Gabriele Calvani, Seydou Fini and Giorgio Cittadini have renewed their loans from Genoa and Atalanta.

The Canarini finished second in the Serie B table last season, securing automatic promotion back to the top flight.

They did it largely thanks to a squad packed with young talent on loan from Serie A sides.

Now those are allowed to continue the project at the Stadio Benito Stirpe, as they renewed their loan agreements for one more season.

Fini, Calvani and Cittadini stay

Genoa have formally loaned defender Calvani and striker Fini for the 2026-27 campaign.

Atalanta also sealed the loan of defender Cittadini for another season.

All of those are temporary moves without options to make them permanent.

An Italy Under-21 international who just turned 20 last month, Fini scored one goal with two assists in eight appearances during his six-month loan at Frosinone.

Calvani is a 22-year-old centre-back who made 37 appearances with the Canarini last term.

Cittadini is a 24-year-old central defender who first came to Frosinone on loan in 2024, meaning this will be his third consecutive season with the club.

Roma could end up doing a double deal with Chelsea, because negotiations can intensify for both Alejandro Garnacho and Diego Moreira, who is at RC Strasbourg.

The Giallorossi have abandoned hope of securing Mason Greenwood from Olympique Marseille, as he has agreed a move to Fenerbahce instead.

Moreira and Garnacho on Roma radar

The next name on the list is Moreira, who turns 22 next month and who Chelsea sold to RC Strasbourg for €8.5m in the summer of 2024.

Both clubs are under the same banner of consortium BlueCo and owner Todd Boehly.

As part of that agreement, Chelsea have first refusal on the player, one that they do not seem interested in activating.

However, Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà insists that the fact the clubs are owned by the same people could see them potentially work out more favourable terms if combined with a swoop for Chelsea’s Garnacho.

La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Roma are offering €35m plus bonuses, including a 10 per cent sell-on fee, to buy Moreira, while they would prefer to get Garnacho on loan with an option to buy.

Considering Garnacho’s career has stalled due to a lack of playing time, first at Manchester United and then Chelsea, he would relish the opportunity to play regularly under Gian Piero Gasperini.

Their qualification for the Champions League has also helped the situation, along with the presence of Garnacho’s good friend Paulo Dybala.

Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic remains a Premier League target, with Newcastle United, Sunderland, Leeds United and Bournemouth focus on the €40m player, as Juventus still wait.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international impressed at the 2026 World Cup and in Serie A for the Neroverdi, so is widely expected to move on this summer.

Muharemovic hot property for Sassuolo

The asking price has been set at €40m, though Juventus would be able to get him for half that figure.

This is because he was in their youth academy and was sold to Sassuolo for €2m, retaining a 50 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

Nonetheless, Juve are still not sure whether to go ahead with the move, so this is giving time for the Premier League clubs to make a genuine offer.

According to the Corriere dello Sport and also Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà, there are several English sides ready to swoop for Muharemovic at €40m.

They are Newcastle United, Sunderland, Leeds United and Bournemouth, who have all shown a strong interest in the 23-year-old.

Coach Ruben Amorim has named a 26-man squad for the first part of Milan pre-season training, including new buy Mario Gila, while some young and loan players will get a chance to impress him.

The Rossoneri come together at the Milanello training camp on Monday July 13, where the work really begins for the new tactician.

Gila is thrown straight into the mix after completing his transfer from Lazio, but Goncalo Ramos is still on vacation after Portugal’s World Cup campaign.

Amorim has said he wants to evaluate the squad at his disposal before making any further decisions on who Milan should buy or sell this summer.

Players returning from loan who are eager to impress him include Samuel Chukwueze, Francesco Camarda and Yunus Musah.

Youngsters trying to keep a spot at Milan include 18-year-old winger Aurelien Guernier, who just joined from Birmingham City, and striker Andrej Kostic.

Christian Comotto is fresh from Italy’s participation in the European Under-19 Championship.

Kevin Zeroli is not included, as he finished the season late with Juve Stabia in the Serie B promotion play-offs, but is not expected to remain with the Rossoneri.

Warren Bondo is not part of their plans and will work separately with a trainer until he can find a new club.

Milan squad for pre-season:

Bouyer, Pittarella, P Terracciano, Torriani; Athekame, Bartesaghi, Gabbia, Gila, Karaca, Odogu, Pavlovic, F Terracciano, Tomori; A Cisse, Comotto, Fofana, Loftus-Cheek, Musah, Ricci; Camarda, Chukwueze, Guernier, Idrissi, Kostic, Nkunku, Ossola

In another unexpected twist, there are now reports Manchester United haven’t made a final decision yet on whether to buy Ederson from Atalanta following a medical.

The deal had been done on June 2 for €40.5m plus another €4.5m in add-ons.

It could not be completed because the player was in the United States with Brazil participating in the 2026 World Cup, so he only had initial medical tests there.

Ederson still unsure of future

The Premier League club wanted further medical tests to examine an issue, and after 48 hours of those scans, multiple sources today reported Manchester United had withdrawn from the deal.

Sky Sport Italia, Fabrizio Romano, Sportitalia and more all stated that Manchester United informed Atalanta they would not be going through with the transfer.

However, BBC Sport, Sky Sports Deutschland and others now suggest that a final decision has not yet been made.

The Italian media seemed confident that Ederson had no serious injury concern, instead assuming Manchester United had simply changed their minds in the last five weeks.

It is therefore possible that Manchester United simply want to renegotiate the terms of the deal, but Atalanta might not be willing to do that.

Atalanta star Charles De Ketelaere has made history by scoring for Belgium against Spain, ending Unai Simon’s record clean sheet at the World Cup after 649 minutes.

The goalkeeper had broken the previous record set by Italy’s Walter Zenga, who had gone without conceding for 517 consecutive minutes during Italia ’90.

Spread out over two editions of the World Cup, Spain’s Unai Simon had managed to keep a clean sheet for 649 minutes of tournament football.

De Ketelaere ends World Cup clean sheet streak

It was ended by a wonderful glancing header from Atalanta attacking player De Ketelaere, who was acting as a False 9 for Belgium in the competition.

De Ketelaere scored his third goal in two games for Belgium, cancelling out the Spain opener that had been tapped in by former Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz.

Spain have conceded their first goal of the World Cup

Charles De Ketelaere scores the equaliser for Belgium pic.twitter.com/B3Z5W2TdCo

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 10, 2026

He had also bagged a brace along with an assist in the 4-1 Round of 16 victory over the USMNT.

The winner of this quarter-final will go on to face France in the semi-final of the World Cup.

Lazio risk seeing their €19m sponsorship deal fall apart after news Polymarket will be banned in Italy for being considered illegal gambling.

The Serie A side has struggled in recent years to secure main sponsors for their jerseys, but had managed to sign the deal worth €19m in April.

It is meant to run for two seasons, with an option for the 2028-29 campaign too.

However, the agreement might be doomed before it even really begins.

Lazio struggle to get shirt sponsors

Polymarket are back on the list of blocked websites for the Customs and Monopolies Agency in Italy (ADM).

The prediction market platform is not authorised to offer services related to public gambling in Italy.

This had been a legal battle already last year, when the company argued it was not a traditional betting site, but rather a prediction market based on an exchange of odds between users.

Polymarket had initially managed to keep going during the appeal, but over the last 24 hours was blocked again by the Italian authorities.

It’s not just Lazio who could be affected, because Polymarket also signed a multi-year agreement with the Lega Serie A for the US market, using official Serie A logos and trademarks on its American platform.

Italian media suggest Manchester United used the Ederson medical as an excuse to withdraw from the €45m Atalanta deal, so could now turn their focus to Roma’s France international Manu Kone instead.

Multiple sources reported this evening that Manchester United had informed Atalanta of their intention to abandon the transfer, which had been agreed back on June 2.

It would’ve been €40.5m fixed fee plus a further €4.5m in performance-related add-ons.

Manchester United saw Kone opportunity with Ederson

The two clubs agreed to wait until after Ederson had finished his participation at the 2026 World Cup with Brazil before completing the necessary medical tests, following an initial quick check-up in the United States.

However, as the weeks wore on, Manchester United started to get cold feet and requested more in-depth medical examinations.

After 48 hours of those scans, today the Premier League side informed Atalanta they would not be going ahead with the move.

According to the Italian media reporting of the situation, including Sportitalia, Atalanta are entirely confident there are no serious fitness issues for Ederson.

They believe it is no coincidence that Manchester United saw an opportunity to change their minds after the rumours of growing interest in Roma midfielder Manu Kone.

The two play very similar roles, so buying both for a total cost of around €100m would be excessive even for the Old Trafford side.

If they have withdrawn from the Ederson move, it is now far more likely that they will dive in with a proposal for Roma’s Kone.

He has seen his value and profile soar after performances for France at the 2026 World Cup, where he pushed Aurelien Tchaouameni out of the starting XI.

In a shocking twist, multiple sources report tonight that Manchester United have pulled out of their €45m deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson.

The agreement had been reached in June, with the club ready to pay €40.5m in guaranteed fees and an additional €4.5m in bonuses.

However, it was not finalised as the player was in the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup.

Ederson dropped by Manchester United

When they were eliminated, Manchester United requested that he undergo extra intensive medical tests before giving the all-clear.

Those were completed over the last 48 hours, but now Sky Sport Italia, Fabrizio Romano and more all claim Manchester United informed Atalanta they were pulling out of the transfer.

Atalanta are confident that this is not caused by the medical tests or any long-term injury, as they believe Manchester United simply changed their minds about the whole deal.

La Dea insist that if Ederson did have a serious injury, he would not have been part of the squad at the World Cup with Brazil.

His contract only runs to June 2028, so now it remains to be seen if he will be sold elsewhere or become part of the group under new coach Maurizio Sarri.

Mario Gila believes he can ‘reach my full potential’ at Milan and recognises the ‘weight’ of the pressure here, then sends a farewell message to Lazio through tears.

The defender completed his transfer today for a reported fee of €25m plus €5m in add-ons, though half of that will go to his previous club Real Madrid as part of the arrangement made in 2022.

He put pen to paper on a contract at San Siro until June 2031 and will wear the Number 34 jersey.

Gila eager to get started with Milan

“We can do great things together. I feel like I can reach my full potential here,” Gila told the official club social media channels.

“I think that I can help the team in every phase,” added the Spaniard.

“I’m a real perfectionist; I never give up, and I always aim as high as I can in every aspect of my life, whether that’s on or off the pitch.”

Although he came up through the Real Madrid youth academy, Gila recognises that Milan represent a different kind of pressure to playing for Lazio.

“This shirt has a really special weight to it, which I’m aware of. I’m here to learn and give my all on the pitch in order to reach the levels that have made AC Milan great.”

 

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Gila then recorded a video message that was published on the official Lazio website to salute his old fans after four years at the Stadio Olimpico.

“Hey guys, how are you? I think this is a goodbye. I want to thank all of you, it’s been emotional since the first moment I arrived here. I was a little kid who just got the first sensation of being a professional football player, but over time I found people and situations to make me who I am today.

“Thank you to the fans, my teammates, to the staff who work inside and outside the dressing room, to my family, those who always believed in me. I thank you all for what you gave me.

“Lazio believe that you can do better things and I too am sure of that. You deserve everything, you are an incredible club. You gave me so much love, made me feel important. I don’t know if I’ll feel that kind of love elsewhere, because this city is incredible and will always remain in my heart.

“I say goodbye to you with an immense pain in my heart. Forza Lazio always,” he added through tears.

Rafael Leao was proposed to Tottenham Hotspur, claims transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano, but Roberto De Zerbi’s club are so far not interested in making an offer to Milan.

The Portugal international put himself on the market this summer when giving several interviews assuring that he had given his all to the Rossoneri, so was ready for the next adventure.

He stated that the Premier League and LaLiga might be more suited to his style of football, but getting clubs ready to pay even the reduced asking price of €60m is proving very difficult indeed.

Truth about Tottenham and Leao

There have been suggestions that Tottenham Hotspur are interested, but transfer pundit Romano claims on his YouTube channel that this is the wrong way round.

Instead, Leao’s intermediaries proposed him to Spurs, who were not particularly excited by the idea of signing the winger.

The desire to separate goes two ways, because Leao is only under contract until June 2028 and Milan have no intention of offering an extension, eager to get his wages off the books.

That is effectively confirmed by new coach Ruben Amorim, who said that the ‘ideal’ position for Christian Pulisic is on the left side of a trident attack.

That is the position currently held by Leao, forcing the USMNT star to shift over onto the right.

So far, the only genuine interest in him has come from Benfica and Galatasaray.

Roma will push Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho, who is good friends with Paulo Dybala, but there are different reports on whether it could be a loan or permanent buy.

Garnacho had already been very close to Serie A football last year when in advanced negotiations with Napoli, but ultimately preferred to make the move from Manchester United to Chelsea for €46.2m.

His career stalled at Stamford Bridge with eight goals and four assists in 43 competitive appearances, though only 22 of those were in the starting XI.

Garnacho back on Serie A radar

Multiple sources are confident that Chelsea have put him on the market this summer and do not see him as part of their future plans.

The issue now is the formula, as Fabrizio Romano reports that Chelsea would only be ready to sell Garnacho on a permanent deal, so not on loan with an option to buy.

He insists that Roma are not prepared to accept those terms at those costs.

Sportitalia transfer pundit Alfredo Pedullà instead maintains that the Giallorossi are prepared to use the €40m that were set aside for Olympique Marseille winger Mason Greenwood, instead putting that to the purchase of the Argentine.

Garnacho only turned 22 last week and is also still on the Napoli radar, although their finances do not stretch to a permanent buy.

Where Roma might have an advantage, according to Pedullà, is that the player is good friends with Roma star Dybala, who has just agreed a new contract at the Stadio Olimpico.

Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne start for Belgium against Spain in the World Cup quarter-final, as Romelu Lukaku is only fit for the bench.

It kicks off in Los Angeles at 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

The winners of this tie will go on to face tournament favourites France in the semi-final.

Belgium have several Serie A players involved and they were decisive in thumping co-hosts USA 4-1 in the last game.

De Ketelaere impressed as a False 9 with two goals, while Lukaku scored again when coming off the bench, as he is still not fully fit after missing most of Napoli’s season through injury.

The Atalanta man therefore starts upfront once more, with Lukaku ready to come on later, but the change is De Bruyne returning to the starting XI.

The competition is over for Amadou Onana, who tore the cruciate ligament in his knee and will be out of action for several months.

Youri Tielemans was in the starting XI, but pulled out during the warm-up, replaced by Hans Vanaken.

Spain are unbeaten against Belgium since the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, which they lost in a penalty shoot-out.

They left it late to squeeze past Portugal with a last-gasp goal from Mikel Merino in the Round of 16.

Coach Luis de la Fuente sticks with almost the same starting XI, including centre-forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored four goals this tournament.

Lamine Yamal hasn’t quite delivered on his promise yet at the World Cup, but he plays with Dani Olmo and Alex Baena in support.

Nico Williams returns for a spot on the bench after his injury problems, but the change is ex-Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz preferred to Pedri.

Spain vs. Belgium line-ups

Spain: Unai Simon; Porro, Cubarsì, Laporte, Cucurella; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo; Yamal, Oyarzabal, Baena

Belgium: Courtois; Castagne, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; De Bruyne, Raskin; Doku, Vanaken, Trossard; De Ketelaere

10-07-2026 20:00

Quarterfinal

SoFi Stadium

Spain

Belgium

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Fabián Ruiz		30'
		41'		Charles De Ketelaere (Assist: Timothy Castagne)
Pau Cubarsí		43'

2nd half

		85'		Charles De Ketelaere
Mikel Merino		88'
Aymeric Laporte		90+3'
		90+5'		Axel Witsel

Match statistic

68

Possession %

32

17

Total shots

5

8

Shots on target

2

4

Shots off target

1

5

Blocked shots

2

5

Corners

1

3

Offsides

1

13

Fouls

18

Spain

Belgium

Starting lineups

23

Unai Simón

Goalkeeper

14

Aymeric Laporte

Defender

24

Marc Cucurella

Defender

22

Pau Cubarsí

Defender

12

Pedro Porro

Defender

15

Álex Baena

Midfielder

55'

8

Fabián Ruiz

Midfielder

55'

16

Rodri

Midfielder

10

Dani Olmo

Attacker

86'

19

Lamine Yamal

Attacker

21

Mikel Oyarzabal

Attacker

79'

1

Thibaut Courtois

Goalkeeper

71'

5

Maxim De Cuyper

Defender

60'

4

Brandon Mechele

Defender

25

Nathan Ngoy

Defender

21

Timothy Castagne

Defender

20

Hans Vanaken

Midfielder

60'

7

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

86'

23

Nicolas Raskin

Midfielder

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

11

Jérémy Doku

Attacker

10

Leandro Trossard

Attacker

60'

Substitutes

4

Eric García

Defender

5

Marcos Llorente

Midfielder

3

Alejandro Grimaldo

Defender

26

Borja Iglesias

Attacker

18

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

11

Yéremy Pino

Attacker

9

Gavi

Midfielder

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

25

Víctor Muñoz

Attacker

13

Joan García

Goalkeeper

2

Marc Pubill

Defender

7

Ferran Torres

Attacker

55'

20

Pedri

Midfielder

55'

17

Nico Williams

Attacker

79'

6

Mikel Merino

Midfielder

86'

16

Koni De Winter

Defender

3

Arthur Theate

Defender

15

Thomas Meunier

Defender

14

Dodi Lukébakio

Attacker

19

Diego Moreira

Attacker

26

Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Attacker

13

Mike Penders

Goalkeeper

6

Axel Witsel

Midfielder

60'

9

Romelu Lukaku

Attacker

60'

18

Joaquin Seys

Defender

60'

12

Senne Lammens

Goalkeeper

71'

22

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

86'