Cristian Chivu will likely receive a message from his ex-coach José Mourinho after winning the 2025-26 Scudetto with Inter, as the Special One promised just a few days ago.

Inter’s Scudetto triumph is being celebrated worldwide, some celebrating harder than if they won live Baccarat online at the Luck Hills online casino, where the thrill of playing can often feel like the excitement generated at the end of a roller coaster season in Serie A.

The Nerazzurri have secured their second Serie A title in the last three years, with Chivu becoming the first foreign coach to win the domestic title in Italy since Mourinho in 2010.

Chivu was an Inter player under the Portuguese tactician when the Nerazzurri won a legendary treble in 2010, and just a few days before Inter’s latest triumph, Mourinho had told Il Giornale: “I’m happy for Chivu that Inter can win the Scudetto, even if, when I was his coach, I’d never thought he would become a coach.

“He didn’t seem predestined, but he was smart. He has studied and has built experience. Many go on the bench today because they sell themselves well. And let’s be honest: this idea that the style of play matters more than results is the biggest lie in football.

“I haven’t messaged Chivu yet because it’s not mathematically certain. Let’s let him earn the points he needs, and when it happens, I’ll reach out.”

Now that Inter have put their hands on the 21st Scudetto in their history, Mourinho will likely text his former star.

Chivu and Inter even have a chance to complete a domestic double, having qualified for the Coppa Italia Final, to be played against Lazio on May 13, 2026.

“This is the 21^st title and another page in the glorious history of this club,” Chivu said after Inter’s 2-0 win over  Parma on May 3, which mathematically gave the Nerazzurri the Scudetto with three games to spare.

“I was younger then, I’ve got some grey hair now, but I am just as happy as when I was a player. The players deserve the credit today; they were marvellous.

“For what this club represents, it was our duty to be competitive. There are ups and downs, the season is a marathon, and we were the most consistent team overall, even after losing a few games, because we always managed to react and get back on our feet.”

Inter hired Chivu in the summer of 2025, days after losing the Champions League Final 5-0 against PSG, under Simone Inzaghi.

Chivu signed a two-year contract until June 2027, but as revealed by President Beppe Marotta, the club will work on a contract extension and a long-term project with the 45-year-old.

La Gazzetta dello Sport

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Christian Pulisic explains how he approached his Milan debut, dealing with the current crisis, his experience at Chelsea and preparing for the USA’s World Cup. ‘I plan on scoring goals.’

The USMNT striker was given the rare honour of being the cover star of Time magazine, as the country gears up for co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico next month.

In a series of interviews, he comes across as serious and focused on his career almost to a fault, with friends and teammates urging him to loosen up.

Pulisic wants to shut critics up

Pulisic was one of the first Americans to really make a name for himself in Europe, at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Milan, but also faced a great deal of criticism.

“When people say that it wasn’t a successful time, it is interesting to me, because I feel like that’s how everyone’s career kind of goes,” said Pulisic of his Chelsea spell.

“It’s not just constantly soaring up.”

He made an immediate impact at Milan after the move in 2018, scoring on his debut in the 2-0 victory over Bologna.

“I didn’t do so much thinking and listening to all types of instruction,” says Pulisic. “I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m just gonna go play.’”

This attitude has served him well so far, but it has all gone wrong in 2026, failing to score a single goal in all competition for the Rossoneri or the USMNT.

When Time asked how he planned on dealing with this incredible slump in form, he was brusque.

“I plan on scoring goals. Such bad questions. I’m not concerned about it, man.”

Yet when he does reflect on previous difficult moments, such as when he was left out of the Gold Cup squad last June, it becomes evident why the current form has been so frustrating.

“That time was difficult for me, because normally I can shut people up with my play. That’s what I’ve done my whole career. I’m in my offseason, so like people are just talking about me, and I can’t just go freaking score and shut them up.”

He has been playing consistently, but not scoring or shutting people up.

“Going at the goal, creating attacking actions, for me, that’s why I play the game,” he noted when discussing his approach.

“You obviously have to do all the other parts, defend and run, different things. That’s fine and all. But what gives me joy and excitement is creating ways to score, and scoring goals and finishing them.”

Pulisic insists he believes America could win the World Cup, but has no intention of making any promises.

“That’s just not how I work. But I can sit in my bed at night and picture holding up the World Cup trophy. I did that as a kid. I’m not going to stop. You have to believe. Why not?”

Inter are expected to reward Cristian Chivu for winning the Scudetto in his first season, offering him a new contract to 2028 with improved wages.

The 45-year-old could not really have asked for a better debut season on the Nerazzurri bench, as he marched them to the Serie A title with three rounds to spare, and is now preparing for the Coppa Italia Final against Lazio on Wednesday.

He was appointed last summer with just days to get ready for the Club World Cup after Simone Inzaghi decided to walk away, and inherited a squad that ended the previous campaign empty-handed.

Chivu appreciated by Inter

Inter President Beppe Marotta has repeatedly said that he wants Chivu to remain for many years, and he is going to put his money where his mouth is.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Romanian has been offered a new contract that adds one year to the current agreement, taking it to June 2028.

More importantly, it will increase his salary from the current €2.1m per year to €3m.

Remarkably, this is the first full season for Chivu as a senior coach, as he took over Parma in February 2025 for the final 13 games of that term.

Before that, his only coaching jobs were all in the Inter youth academy from 2018 to 2024.

Davide Bartesaghi admits it is ‘my dream to stay at Milan for as long as possible’ and reveals a surprising Rafael Leao gift. ‘This is a magnificent club.’

The 20-year-old has spent his entire career in the Rossoneri jersey and entered the senior squad consistently from this season.

He has made 30 competitive appearances so far this term, with two goals and one assist, so he sat down with club legend Serginho in the Off The Pitch podcast.

Bartesaghi a lifelong Milan supporter

“It was a different Milan when you were there, so many champions and a different atmosphere. I started watching Milan play a little later than that,” confessed Bartesaghi.

He recently signed a new contract that runs to June 2030 and hopes to follow in the footsteps of Paolo Maldini as a one-club man.

“It is my dream to stay at Milan for as long as possible, this is a magnificent club. I have a passion for Milan, the history speaks for itself.”

Bartesaghi is a left-back, but he took centre-stage in last season’s Supercoppa Italiana triumph, beating Inter 3-2.

“It was totally unexpected, but we still believed we could do it. That was my first trophy, one of those moments I will never forget. Moving from the youth team to the senior squad was indescribable, a dream come true. I know that I have to keep going and do far more than I did this season. I hope many more kids can experience this in future.”

Despite their stuttering recent form that has them clinging on to third place in Serie A, he insists the mood in the dressing room is still positive.

“We must always be respectful for the older players, be eager to listen and learn, but also have your say, not just stay silent.”

Bartesaghi reveals that teammate Rafael Leao surprised him after the first unexpected brace of his Serie A career.

“After I scored a brace against Sassuolo, Rafael Leao congratulated me, then the day after he gave me a huge framed picture of my celebration.

“Alexis Saelemaekers is the funniest teammate, Mike Maignan the most serious. The most severe coach I had was Sergio Conceicao, my favourites are Allegri and Pioli.”

Lautaro Martinez assures he doesn’t see any good reason to seek a transfer now or in the future. ‘I am faithful to the Inter project, I feel at home.’

Every summer there are reports of the world’s biggest clubs showing an interest in the Argentina international, including Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Lautaro Martinez only has eyes for Inter

Each year, the suggestion is immediately shot down by the player, his agent, and the Nerazzurri, so is there never even the slightest temptation?

“No, because I am faithful to the Inter project, I feel at home here,” Lautaro Martinez told Cronache di Spogliatoio in a sneak peek via Tuttomercatoweb.

It might be easy to say this after winning the Serie A title, on track for the Coppa Italia, and the Capocannoniere crown, but there is far more to it than just what happens on the field.

“My family is happy, we have a restaurant in the city and we love Milan. From the first day, everyone treated me in a way I didn’t think possible.

“I achieved so many personal and team targets here.”

This commitment saw him rewarded with the captain’s armband, as he has scored 173 goals in 372 competitive appearances in the Inter shirt since joining in 2018.

While they ended last season empty-handed, El Toro never wavered from the idea of rebuilding with Inter and looking to the future.

Antonio Cassano has given Gian Piero Gasperini some surprising advice after the Claudio Ranieri row. ‘He has a weak squad, he should leave Roma and go to Milan.’

The former Roma, Milan, Sampdoria and Real Madrid player was speaking on his podcast Viva El Futbol and discussing the current Serie A campaign.

With the Giallorossi back in the hunt for the top four, the tension over the argument with former director Ranieri has fallen into the background.

Cassano gives Gasperini advice

“Ranieri talked absolute rubbish,” insisted Cassano.

“Knowing what the atmosphere is like at Roma, if things were to go badly next season, everyone would turn on Gasperini and it would be totally reversed.

“The Friedkin family need to give him a decent squad. In these years, Roma never went beyond fifth place, and if they try to build a team around Paulo Dybala, then they’ll get nowhere.”

Ranieri claimed that Gasperini was by no means the first choice for the job last summer, even though he had to leave Atalanta first, and insisted that the coach had given the all clear to players that were later flops.

“As soon as problems emerge, the fans will say Ranieri was right,” added Cassano.

“I would advise Gasperini to leave, if he puts himself on the market, he could go to Milan. He’s had eight exceptional months dealing with a really weak squad.”

Max Allegri’s future at Milan is far from clear and they are currently in third place, but back within reach of Roma for those Champions League spots.

Udinese defender Oumar Solet has been heavily linked with Inter and Newcastle United, but it’s now reported the asking price has been set at €25m.

The 26-year-old has been very impressive so far this season at the Bluenergy Stadium, adding three goals and an assist in 32 Serie A appearances from central defence.

Solet ready for next move

He had been snapped up as a free agent by Udinese in January 2025, after a contract dispute with RB Salzburg, having come up through the Stade Lavallois youth academy.

It means any sale would be pure profit, and the Friulani aim to make it a big sale, knowing there is no shortage of interest in the Frenchman.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Udinese have now decided that Solet will be available for €25m in the summer.

Newcastle United sent scouts to view him in action over the last few weeks, while Inter have been pursuing him for quite a few months.

The Nerazzurri’s interest might also depend on the fate of Alessandro Bastoni, because if the Italian is sold to Barcelona, then Solet would be a suitable replacement in the back three.

Italy Under-21 international Michael Kayode thinks he has cracked why English football moves at a higher tempo after moving to Brentford and has no Juventus regrets. ‘The training is much tougher in Italy.’

The 21-year-old came up through the youth academies at Juventus and Fiorentina before earning his €18m move to Brentford and the Premier League in January 2025.

He made 41 appearances for the Bees so far this season, contributing one goal and two assists from right-back, and is a regular for Italy at Under-21 level.

Kayode enjoying life at Brentford

How has he dealt with the differences between Italian and English football?

“The training is much tougher in Italy, and you get far fewer days off,” revealed Kayode on Chiamarsi Bomber.

“Here you train 4-5 times a week, then you rest a lot more. Perhaps this is why people think English football has a higher tempo, because you only train as much as you need to, then feel fresh both physically and mentally once you play the game.

“It gives you more time to spend with your loved ones. Besides, the training sessions are almost all 11 against 11, we rarely spend that much time focusing on tactics. It’s about taking men on.”

Kayode looked back on his career path and a move that might’ve been devastating to a young player, when he went on loan to Gozzano and Juventus didn’t want him back.

“I might seem crazy, but I don’t regret it at all, because the fact Juve dumped me did give me the strength to reach this level. We were around 60 kids in that group and only 2-3 now play at professional level. Gozzano gave me the chance at age 16 to play against older opponents, Serie D is very different to a youth team.

“I loved being at Fiorentina, Alberto Aquilani was a great coach, both tactically and as a person. Vincenzo Italiano called me into the senior squad and his mentality is incredible, he always wants you focused.

“One day, he started me against Genoa, I didn’t think it was possible! I really did not expect that at all. I owe him so much, he wanted me to always have the hunger to keep improving.”

Real Madrid are starting to realise how important Carlo Ancelotti was to the club, as it’s reported the Italian quashed the tension that erupted today in a brawl that sent players to the hospital.

The incident is all over the headlines in Spain and beyond, with multiple reports of a vicious training ground fight between Aurelien Tchaouameni and Federico Valverde.

The situation was so bad that it’s claimed Valverde was thrown into a table, where he hit his head and was knocked unconscious, taken to hospital for tests and stitches.

This was just 24 hours after the same two teammates reportedly clashed in training, with coach Alvaro Arbeloa seemingly unable or unwilling to intervene.

Ancelotti kept Real Madrid egos in check

Spanish paper AS point out that this is where Ancelotti’s influence at Real Madrid was sorely underestimated, as he had seen similar bubbling tension between players last season, but was able to keep it under control.

The Italian provided an authority and experience of dealing with big egos, still the only coach in history to have won all five major European League titles.

He had two different spells at Real Madrid, from 2013-15 and again from 2021 to 2025.

With the Merengues, Ancelotti won three Champions League trophies, two editions of LaLiga, three European Super Cups, three editions of the Club World Cup, two Copa del Reys and two Spanish Super Cups.

Only now that he has moved on to a new role with the Brazil national team can Real Madrid truly appreciate his man-management skills.

“It is a job with a lot of power and responsibility. I can choose what time I train, who I put in, but in the end, it is a relationship between people,” said Ancelotti.

“That is the most important aspect. Sometimes I ask the players, ‘who are you’ and they tell me ‘I am a player.’ And I tell them ‘no, you are a person who plays football.’

“I try to have a relationship with them on a personal level as well as a professional one, because that way you can get better performance from the professional. It is not easy because the player always wants to play. And 11 do it, but 15 go to watch the game.

“But if you manage to have a good personal relationship with them, this helps you to work better. You have to be honest with people.”

There are growing reports that Milan are very close to finalising personal terms with Leon Goretzka, who will be a free agent from Bayern Munich.

The veteran midfielder has long been in their sights as a potential reinforcement who can bring valuable experience to a side that already has Luka Modric and Adrien Rabiot.

He turned 31 in February and is available as a free agent from July 1, when his current contract with Bayern Munich will expire.

According to ESPN Deportes and ActuFoot, Milan are now confident they are extremely close to securing an agreement with Goretzka.

Milan ready to win Goretzka race

There was plenty of competition for his signature, including within Serie A from Napoli and Juventus, plus Arsenal, Olympique Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Rossoneri can lock him down if they manage to secure a Champions League qualifying spot, and currently sit third in the Serie A table.

The Germany international made 45 competitive appearances for Bayern Munich so far this season, scoring five goals and providing four assists.

Goretzka also has 69 senior caps for his country, where he scored 15 goals.

Udinese midfielder Arthur Atta has been named the Serie A Rising Star of the Month for April 2026 and will receive an award this weekend.

Every month, the Lega Serie A assigns a trophy for the best young player who made a real impact in the Italian top flight, and this time it will go to Atta.

Impressive Atta shines for Udinese

The 23-year-old joined Udinese in 2024 on loan from Metz, making the move permanent a year later for €8m, and has gone from strength to strength this season.

He scored five goals and provided four assists in 29 Serie A games, finding the net against Milan and getting a superb brace in the 3-3 thriller with Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico in April.

The French midfielder will be presented with his Rising Star of the Month award ahead of kick-off when Udinese host Cremonese this weekend in Serie A.

You can enjoy some of his highlights in this official video from the Lega Serie A.

Milan have reportedly told Christopher Nkunku and agent Pini Zahavi that he is for sale, but only if someone comes in with a bid worth €40m.

The 28-year-old was signed from Chelsea last summer at a cost of €37m plus bonuses and has failed to make much of an impact at San Siro.

He scored just six goals with three assists in 32 competitive games, and was rarely chosen in the starting XI, even during an injury crisis of strikers.

Milan put Nkunku on the market

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a meeting with agent Zahavi confirmed that Milan are eager to sell after just one season, especially as they are also looking at another forward represented by the same agent, namely Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.

With the cost of the transfer only a year ago, Milan want to sell for €40m to avoid making a net loss on the player.

In truth, around €30m would suffice to make their money back, but the Rossoneri hope Nkunku can get a better figure on the market this summer.

He is a France international with two goals in 18 senior caps, though his last game for Les Bleus was back in November 2025.

Marco Palestra insists he feels ‘ready for a big club and you must have ambition’ after his Cagliari loan, but was ‘angry’ at first when Atalanta transformed him into a full-back.

The wing-back is a product of the Atalanta youth academy and has flourished during the loan spell in Sardinia, even earning his first senior caps for Italy.

He met with DAZN for their My Skills show and spoke about his experience at the Unipol Domus.

Palestra exploded onto Serie A scene

“It has been a wonderful year that changed my life,” said Palestra.

“I think it was the best decision I could’ve made in every way. My Atalanta teammates had told me I would not regret coming to Cagliari. You really do feel welcomed here, it is a unique club with an entire island behind it.”

Cagliari do not have an option to make the move permanent, so he will return to Bergamo in the summer.

However, with big clubs like Inter and Arsenal already hovering around him, it is also unlikely that he’ll stay there either.

“I am dreaming of playing for Italy regularly, and I know that it depends on what I do now at Cagliari.”

Does Palestra feel that he is ready for a big club?

“Yes, in order to improve, you must have ambition that can take you to become a top player. With every game I played this season, my confidence continued to grow.

“I didn’t expect to be in the Serie A Team of the Season in my first real campaign, I never would’ve thought that at the start.”

He is a very attacking full-back who can play on the right or left, but which does he prefer?

“If I had to choose, I would say the right, but I’m fine on the left too. I started out playing in midfield until the Under-17s, then they had a shortage of left-backs due to injuries, so the coach put me there.

“I was really angry at first, I didn’t like it, but after three games I was moved to right-back, and there I realised this could be my position.

“If I had continued as a midfielder, maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now. I wasn’t exactly someone who stood out.”

Palestra is able to play in both roles because he is largely two-footed.

“I prefer to do some things with my left foot, like taking men on, but when it comes to shooting, I’m more right-footed. I try not to think about it too much, that way I can use both.”

Venezia have just earned promotion to Serie A, announced new investment worth €100m and Francesca Bodie takes over as President, in a club backed by Tim Leiweke and rapper Drake.

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The Lagunari secured their top two status in the Serie B tournament with one round to spare, just a year on from their relegation.

They are already planning big changes for the top flight, and it starts at the very top, as President Duncan Niederaurer will retain a minority stake in the club ownership group.

However, the new President is Francesca Bodie, with her father Tim Leiweke and Rob Hamwee becoming co-chairmen of the Venice Operations Committee.

Venezia have big ambitions in Serie A

“Venezia is an iconic team with a century-old history in the world’s most beautiful city, and we will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence ​and victories to ​enhance the ⁠legacy of this storied club,” Leiweke said in a statement.

The presence of Bodie suggests Venezia will push forward on plans to build a new stadium, something that has been suggested for literally decades, going back to previous owner Maurizio Zamparini.

Rapper Drake had already worked with Bodie and Leiweke at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and Toronto Maple Leafs.

“They know what success means and how to achieve it. We have succeeded before and I am excited to bring that energy to Venice,” said Drake.

The rapper became part-owner of Venezia in 2024 and is now boosting his investment in the club following promotion to Serie A, with Leiweke seemingly bringing an extra €100m ($117.72 million).

Leiweke was criminally indicted in 2025 in the US for alleged stadium bid rigging over the Moody Center at the University of Texas, but was pardoned by President Donald Trump that same year.

Milan fans are planning a vocal protest against CEO Giorgio Furlani this weekend, but owner Gerry Cardinale is said to be pleased with his work boosting profits.

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The anger in the fanbase has been bubbling up in recent weeks and exploded after the 2-0 defeat to Sassuolo left even Champions League qualification at risk.

Furlani blamed for Milan woes

Some bombarded the club’s social media accounts with insults towards Furlani, others even set up a petition demanding he be fired, as he has become the figurehead for their recent struggles.

Now it is reported Milan ultras are planning a protest taking aim squarely at Furlani during this weekend’s big Serie A match against Atalanta.

However, RedBird chief Cardinale seems to be very satisfied with the way his CEO is running the club, especially after hitting a new record of profits from player sales.

Calcio e Finanza note that the Rossoneri should come in at a profit of €101.8m, better than the previous best of €78m set in 2001-02.

Furlani comes from a finance background and joined Milan via Elliott Management, who helped Silvio Berlusconi sell the club to Yonghong Li and then take over when that loan was unpaid in 2018.

When Elliott sold the Diavolo to RedBird in December 2022, Furlani replaced Ivan Gazidis as CEO.

Dusan Vlahovic will be a free agent on July 1 and with no new Juventus deal, he is reportedly now waiting for Barcelona or Bayern Munich offers.

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The striker and club had agreed to postpone any negotiations on an extension until he made a full recovery from a serious injury in November 2025.

Now he is back in the squad and scored a goal in the 1-1 draw with Verona, but there is still no sign of an agreement.

The Bianconeri are believed to be offering a salary of €6m per season, half of his current wages, while the biggest argument is over commission fees.

Vlahovic ready to wait it out

According to Sportmediaset, this is because the Serbia international has his eye on leaving Serie A after experiences with Fiorentina and Juventus.

He had been heavily linked with Milan and a reunion with ex-Juve coach Max Allegri, but is reportedly now waiting for proposals from Barcelona or Bayern Munich.

The Blaugrana might need to replace ageing Robert Lewandowski, while Bayern need an understudy for Harry Kane.

There has also been some Premier League interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea, but this too has calmed recently.

David De Gea is now 35 years old and still making big saves for Fiorentina, but it’s reported the only club he’d accept a move for now is Manchester United.

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The Spanish goalkeeper was out of action for over a year after his contract with Manchester United was allowed to run down in July 2023, as he preferred to wait for the right opportunity.

Fiorentina eventually convinced him as a free agent in August 2024 and he has shown what is still more than capable of between the sticks, in Serie A and the Conference League.

De Gea still flying with Fiorentina

His contract runs to June 2028 with an option to extend by a further year, so the Viola are sure he will continue to deliver the goods.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, De Gea is intent on playing at Fiorentina until his retirement, unless one particular club comes along with a proposal.

That team is Manchester United, where he already spent the best part of a decade from 2011 to 2023.

If they were to call him in, then the veteran would be tempted for one final show at Old Trafford, otherwise his future is entirely with Fiorentina.

Roma are set to fire director Ricky Massara, with names approached to take over including Piero Ausilio of Inter, Giovanni Manna of Napoli and ex-Fiorentina chief Daniele Pradè.

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The club is in the process of a complete revamp after the dismissal of special advisor Claudio Ranieri due to his disagreements with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

The Friedkin family are eager to build a structure that will support Gasperini’s ideas, and that also means the removal of Massara as director of sport this summer.

Roma looking for director of sport

There have been several names mentioned to take over the transfer strategy, including some who are already locked down at big clubs.

Tuttomercatoweb suggest that Roma made an approach for current Inter director Ausilio, though the odds of him leaving the Nerazzurri after winning the Scudetto are very slim indeed.

A more likely candidate would be current Napoli director Manna, who made his name setting up the Juventus Next Gen project, a model that Roma are eager to replicate.

Multiple reports including Repubblica point to Manna as the preferred option for the Friedkin family, but it would cost €10m to buy him out of his Napoli contract.

An easier figure to secure is Pradè, who resigned at Fiorentina earlier this season following the disastrous start to the campaign.

He had already worked at Roma in various roles including director of sport from 2000 to 2011.

Reports on Thursday suggest that Rafael Leao is coming to the end of his time with Milan, and updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that he could be reunited with his former partner in crime Theo Hernandez at Al-Hilal. 

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Could Leao reunite with Theo Hernandez at Al-Hilal?

Thursday’s reports claim that Milan will look to sell Leao this summer after seven seasons in San Siro. Leao has been one of the stars of the Rossoneri camp for several seasons, but has struggled to impress at centre-forward under Massimiliano Allegri this term, and the growing feeling is that the summer may be the right time to part company with the Portugal international. 

Leao still has a staggering €175m release clause in his contract, and there had previously been reports of an offer in the region of €100m from Chelsea, however, these figures are now considered unattainable for Milan. 

Instead, the Rossoneri are looking at a sale for figures in the region of €50m-€60m according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Even at a discounted price, Leao doesn’t seem to have an enormous number of options in front of him. Thursday’s report claims that there is interest from both Manchester United and Barcelona, but nothing particularly concrete on either of those fronts. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that there is still interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, who has explored the possibility of signing Leao last summer as well. Al-Hilal are led by former Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi and also have Leao’s former left-flank partner Theo Hernandez on their playing staff. 

It remains to be seen whether or not Leao is ‘open’ to the idea of leaving Europe for the Saudi Pro League at the age of 26. 

As things stand, the other available option to Leao is to try and convince Milan into continuing their relationship together, but La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that this is a ‘less likely’ scenario and that a sale this summer is the most likely conclusion. 

Hakan Calhanoglu is still training separately from his Inter teammates and is unlikely to be fit for the Coppa Italia Final against Lazio on May 13.

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The Nerazzurri are still celebrating their Scudetto, which was secured with three rounds still left to play, but are back in action on Saturday in Serie A against Lazio.

Curiously, these two teams will meet again on Wednesday in the Stadio Olimpico, but that will be for the Coppa Italia Final, the opportunity for Inter to do the Double.

Inter waiting for Calhanoglu recovery

Calhanoglu is certainly out of this weekend’s match and Sky Sport Italia report the odds of seeing him participate in the Final are also very slim.

He suffered a series of injuries this season, the latest a left thigh issue, and with the World Cup on the horizon for Turkiye he is in no mood to run big risks.

Another player who could miss out is Francesco Pio Esposito, who went off at half-time in the victory over Parma with a back problem and is still not fully healed.

As Lautaro Martinez is not being rushed back either, that means Ange-Yoan Bonny should partner Marcus Thuram upfront.

Luis Henrique is back in training after a right thigh twinge and should be in the squad for this weekend.

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali reveals why Roberto De Zerbi was ‘enchanting’ as a coach and claims it might be ‘a good thing’ Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

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The Neroverdi were promoted from Serie B last summer and look to be finishing more than comfortably mid-table, especially after beating Milan 2-0 at the weekend.

It sets them apart as one of the models for Italian football to follow, one of the few clubs to own a stadium, constructed a training ground, and focus on Italian youth both on and off the field.

With that in mind, it is perhaps surprising that Carnevali has suggested the failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup could be a necessary push for Calcio to change its ways.

Sassuolo set template for Serie A

“But maybe it’s actually a good thing that we’re not going to the World Cup, because we need to focus on everything that needs to be put right,” he told The Athletic.

“Because if we’d just gone to the World Cup, perhaps we’d have simply swept all the underlying problems under the carpet. Instead, here we need to try to think things through, bring them out into the open and start working from the ground up with people who have the expertise, with people who have the ability to try and sort out the Italian football system a bit.”

Some of the issues are that TV rights are divided up based largely on history and size of clubs, while the lack of new stadiums is a painful problem.

“In my view, we need to look into a system whereby, when you invest in facilities, training centres, stadiums and the like, and when you invest in young players and give them a chance to play… these should be the incentives available to you,” Carnevali argues.

Clubs like Sassuolo and Atalanta live on their youth academies, but the Italian rules have seen talents poached by other nations with nothing they can do to stop it.

Most recently, it happened with Sassuolo’s Luca Reggiani and Atalanta’s Samuele Inacio snapped up by Borussia Dortmund before they could sign a professional contract.

“These are defeats, these are the real defeats — not the ones you suffer on a Sunday. I gave this lad everything. Facilities, coaches, physios, fitness coach, nutritionist, psychologist. Everything. Then you turn 16, and it’s ‘thank you and goodbye’, because there’s a club that snaps you up and offers you a big contract.”

Sassuolo also helped to launch the careers of some impressive coaches, including De Zerbi in 2021 before he went on to Shakhtar Donetsk, Olympique Marseille, Brighton and Tottenham.

“To me, De Zerbi is a manager who, when I see him coaching on the pitch, really enchants you,” said Carnevali.

“Watching the team train under De Zerbi is truly a thing of beauty, because you can really see the manager’s influence. And this comes through even more during matches; the ability to give the team an identity.

“De Zerbi always did that for us during those three years, embracing Sassuolo’s philosophy of trying to attack and play attractive football.”

Thursday’s reports claim that Juventus have been offered the opportunity to sign Real Madrid defender David Alaba on a free transfer once his deal at the Bernabebu comes to an end at the close of the 2025-26 season. 

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Could Juventus make a move for Real Madrid’s Alaba?

The 111-time Austria international has spent the last five seasons in Madrid, having joined on a free transfer after 10 trophy-laden seasons in the Bayern Munich first team. 

The 33-year-old is expected to leave Madrid this summer, his contract expiring on June 30, following a tough three years of fitness struggles after a torn cruciate ligament (ACL) in December 2023. 

Despite his injury troubles, Alaba’s experience, trophy cabinet and versatility are attractive characteristics for the Bianconeri. Alaba has 10 Bundesliga titles to his name, four Champions League titles, six DFB Pokal trophies, three German Super Cup wins, two LaLiga titles, a Copa del Rey, a Supercopa de Espana, three UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups. 

The fact that he is able to play as a left-sided centre-back, as a left-back and as a central midfielder is also encouraging.

 According to reports from Tuttosport, Juventus are carefully considering a potential move for Alaba this summer. They are, of course, aware of his injury record and of the fact that he will need to lower his salary given that he earns in excess of €10m per season after tax in Spain. 

However, Tuttosport claims that conversations between Juventus and Alaba’s agent, Pini Zahavi, are underway and that the player’s camp has ‘opened up’ to the idea of moving to Turin next season.

Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri remain the frontrunners to land the vacant Italy national team head coach role, but with decisions not yet made either way, several other coaches in Serie A are facing uncertain futures as well. 

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The Italy CT role has been left vacant for the last month following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso shortly after the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of March. 

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina and delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon also left their roles after the failure to qualify for the World Cup, and with an election to appoint a new FIGC President set for June 22, a new head coach will not be appointed before then. 

Dominos expected to fall once new Italy CT is chosen

Thursday’s reports indicate that a series of dominos in the Serie A coaching world could begin to fall once the new Italy head coach role is filled. 

The Corriere dello Sport and Calciomercato.com report that if Allegri is appointed the next Italy head coach, then Milan could potentially turn to Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano, or even to Conte, who had been linked with a move to join the Rossoneri before landing in Naples. 

If Italy go with Conte, then Maurizio Sarri would be first in line to return to the Stadio Maradona to take over. 

This leaves Bologna and Lazio with uncertainties as well. 

Thursday’s reports suggest that if either find themselves in need of a new head coach this summer, they could turn to Atalanta’s Raffaele Palladino, who is said to be uncertain about his long-term future with La Dea. Paolo Vanoli could also be available as Fiorentina are said to be considering a potential move for Sassuolo’s Fabio Grosso. 

Whatever happens with the Italy CT position, there are at least seven Serie A coaches whose futures are not nailed down as things stand between Conte, Allegri, Sarri, Italiano, Palladino, Vanoli and Grosso.

Former Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has joked that his long-term Poland colleague Robert Lewandowski should retire instead of joining the Bianconeri this summer ‘because that’s when the best offers come in’. 

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Szczesny jokingly advises Lewandowski against Juventus

Juventus and Milan are among the Serie A sides that have been linked with a summer move to sign Lewandowski, who is expected to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and will turn 38 in August.

The veteran centre-forward has still been in productive form over the last two seasons – 27 goals from 34 LaLiga appearances last season and 13 from 27 in the Spanish top flight so far this term, and his age is not a particular concern to clubs in Italy following the success that the 40-year-old Luka Modric has been in Milan this season. 

Lewandowski still has plenty of options available to him approaching the summer transfer window, but former Juventus goalkeeper Szczseny, speaking from his own experiences, jokes that Lewandowski should retire this summer. 

“If I had to give him advice from my experience, I would tell him to retire, because that’s when the best offers come in,” Szczesny joked in an interview with Eleven Sports (via Tuttosport).

Szczesny decided to call time on his playing career after leaving Juventus upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2024, before coming out of retirement less than two months later to sign with Barcelona until the end of the 2024-25 season following an injury to first-choice stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. 

Szczesny has since gone on to sign a two-year extension to that deal, which will keep him tied to Barcelona until the summer of 2027. He has made 40 appearances across all competitions with the Cataland Giants since joining last October.

Thursday’s reports confirm that Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo is ready to return to Antonio Conte’s starting line-up in Serie A this weekend as the Italy international marks 100 days since his most recent injury. 

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Di Lorenzo finally set for Napoli return

Di Lorenzo has been out of action for exactly 100 days, dating back to his side’s 2-1 victory against Fiorentina in Serie A on January 31. The Partenopei captain was taken off with a knee injury during that game with fears that he might have damaged his cruciate ligament (ACL). 

Fortunately for Di Lorenzo, the issue was diagnosed as a hyperextension, significantly less severe than an ACL tear, but, the right-back decided to have surgery anyway in order to fix a foot injury which had been causing him pain for much of the 2025-26 season. 

The knee injury and surgery on Di Lorenzo’s foot have kept him out of action for the last 12 Serie A matches. He returned to the matchday squad for Napoli’s 0-0 draw against Como this weekend, but remained an unused substitute. 

Now, according to updates from Corriere dello Sport, Di Lorenzo is now in line to return to the Napoli starting line-up for this weekend’s match against Bologna. The 32-year-old had played for the full 90 minutes in all 22 of Napoli’s Serie A matches prior to his injury.

Former AC Milan legend and current president of the Ukrainian Football Federation, Andriy Shevchenko, believes Italy will return to the top level of world football despite the disappointment of missing out on another FIFA World Cup qualification.

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Shevchenko on Italy’s World Cup failure: ‘They will find a way to come back and compete at the highest level’

“I’m sure Italy will adjust, Italy will find a way to come back and compete at the highest level,” Shevchenko said at the Portugal Football Summit Podcast presented by Pedro Pinto.

“I was very sad about that because a country like Italy is a football country, and this is the third time that they didn’t qualify for the World Cup,” Shevchenko said.

The former Ballon d’Or winner revealed that Milan’s former sporting director Ariedo Braida played a decisive role in convincing him to move to Italy in 1999. “He came to visit me to watch one of the games of Dynamo Kyiv. After the game, he brought me a present: an AC Milan shirt. He told me that if I wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, the only chance was to join AC Milan and wear that shirt. That was a clear message for me that I should choose AC Milan.”

The Ukrainian striker would go on to become one of the greatest forwards in Milan history and win the UEFA Champions League. “It was a dream come true,” he said.

“When I was a little kid, I was always dreaming about becoming a professional player and playing for Dynamo Kyiv. I had a chance to win the Champions League with them, but it didn’t come through. Then, finally, when I joined AC Milan, I had such a big chance to win the Champions League. And when that happened, I felt like my dream had come true. I also felt like I had written something important in the book of football.”

Shevchenko also spoke warmly about his friendship with former Milan teammate Rui Costa, now president of Benfica. “I’m very happy that Rui chose to stay involved in football. It was a great pleasure for me to share the pitch with him. Our relationship has continued.”

Now serving as president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, Shevchenko also addressed the ongoing situation in Ukraine. “When I talk to the players, I try to explain that we have to stick together. We have to help each other,” he said.

Shevchenko reserved special praise for the Ukrainian armed forces, acknowledging their sacrifices during the ongoing conflict. “Thank you for your service. It is the reason we are still playing football in Ukraine.”

The Portugal Football Summit is a programme organised by the Portuguese Football Federation that promises to bring together a number of leading figures from the world of football ahead of the second edition of the event, which will take place from 23 to 25 September at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras.

Reports in Italy confirm that Italy internationals Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli have been handed their final punishments as the investigation into their illegal gambling activity finally comes to a definitive end. 

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Tonali and Fagioli betting investigation reaches definitive conclusion

Tonali and Fagioli both served lengthy bans between 2023 and 2024 for their involvement in illegal gambling practices, which involved betting on football matches, which is prohibited for professional players. 

In October of 2023, the FIGC confirmed that Tonali would have to serve a 10-match suspension for his involvement, as well as being ordered to pay a fine of €20,000 and to attend a series of events warning others against the dangers of gambling addictions. Fagioli was also handed a seven-month suspension and a fine of €12,500. 

These were ‘sporting’ punishments handed out by the Italian football association, but that is separate from the criminal investigation that was opened in April 2025. Tonali and Fagioli were accused of gambling on illegal betting sites, of promoting these platforms among other professional athletes, and of opening accounts and delivering payments on behalf of their colleagues. 

Reports from various outlets in Italy on Thursday, including the Corriere dello Sport, confirm that the investigation into the illegal gambling case has now drawn to a conclusion, which means that the matter is now definitively over. 

Tonali will have to pay a fine of €78,000, while Fagioli has been handed a one-month suspended prison sentence. 

Reports in Italy claim that Rafael Leao is at risk of being dropped from Massimiliano Allegri’s starting line-up and that the Rossoneri could look to sell the Portugal international in the upcoming summer transfer window. 

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Could Leao be dropped and then sold by Milan?

Leao and his Milan teammates are on a disappointing run of form heading into the final few games of the 2025-26 season, with just four points to their name from their last five Serie A matches. 

Leao is without a goal in over two months, dating back to the 2-0 win over Cremonese on March 1. The Portugal international is yet to cross double figures in the league, currently on nine goals, heading into the final three Serie A matches of the season. That is despite the fact that he has spent most of the season playing as a centre-forward in a 3-5-2.

According to updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan are ‘growing tired’ of waiting for Leao to become a consistently reliable player. 

It has been said that the 26-year-old is not impacting games in the way that he used to in years gone by, and his lack of defensive effort has constantly been a complaint among Rossoneri supporters. His icy reactions to being substituted off in recent matches has not gone down well, either. 

For these reasons, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Leao is at risk of losing his place in the starting XI for Milan’s upcoming Serie A match against Atalanta on Sunday evening. Thursday’s report explains that Leao still has another few days to convince Allegri to keep the faith in him, but as things stand, he is ‘a step behind’ Christian Pulisic and Santiago Gimenez in the pecking order. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport predicts that this could be the summer that Milan decide to part ways with Leao as well. The Pink Paper claims that Milan ‘will not only evaluate, but encourage’ offers for the winger-turned striker this coming window. 

Leao has a staggering €175m release clause in his Rossoneri contract, which is not expected to be activated. In fact, Milan might be looking at offers of less than a third of the value of the release clause. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport’s prediction is that offers in the region of €50m-€60m could be enough to convince Milan into a sale this summer.

Reports on Thursday claim that former Italy national team head coach Gennaro Gattuso could potentially be offered a three-year contract to return to Serie A as head coach of Torino, but he is not the only candidate that the Granata have in mind. 

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Gattuso has been out of work since leaving his position as head coach of the Italy national team at the beginning of April, shortly after the failure to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row. 

The 48-year-old has not coached in Serie A since leaving Napoli in 2021. Since then, he has had experiences with Valencia in LaLiga, Marseille in Ligue 1, Hajduk Split in the Croatian Football League, and most recently with Italy. 

Could Gattuso return to Serie A with Torino after short-lived Italy stint?

According to reports from Tuttosport, Torino are keen on the idea of appointing Gattuso as their head coach for the 2026-27 campaign. 

If Torino are to head down the Gattuso route, Tuttosport reports that he will likely be offered a three-year contract at the Stadio Olimpico Grande. 

The ex-Italy CT is a figure that club President Urbano Cairo is said to like, as does sporting director Gianluca Petrachi, and Thursday’s reports claim that this is not the first time that Gattuso has been sounded out for the Torino job. Tuttosport claims that the Granata had also looked at the possibility of appointing Gattuso before and after Ivan Juric’s spell in charge. 

A return to Torino for Juric can’t be ruled out either. The Croatian has been without a job since leaving Atalanta earlier this season. Torino had also looked at bringing Juric back to the club before he decided to move to Bergamo, which led the Granata to appoint Marco Baroni ahead of the 2025-26 campaign instead. 

There is also a possibility, albeit an increasingly slim one, that Torino decide to stick with current head coach Roberto D’Aversa, who is on a short-term contract that expires at the end of June. Thursday’s front page claims that the current head coach is at the bottom of the pecking order as things stand, though.

La Gazzetta dello Sport 

Leao, you’re out 

Two cases in the race for the Champions League 

He’s at the end of the line with Milan: Future elsewhere. At risk of being benched in San Siro on Sunday

Vlahovic, what frost 

He wants to go abroad, renewal with Juve slipping away 

The last dribble

Brilliance and wit, the symbol of Interismo. His Scudetto teammates: ‘He used to run away from training camps’.

PSG in the final again for the double 

Champions League 

Just a 1-1 against Bayern. The battle with Arsenal in Bdapest on May 30 

Corriere dello Sport 

Conte moves everyone 

If he doesn’t stay at Napoli, could Sarri return and Allegri be CT?

The dugout domino | Antonio, more than Max, could set off the Serie A coaches 

The meeting with ADL is the key to start the rotation of the coaches. Milan also left without certainties. Just like Bologna, Atalanta and Fiorentina. It will hot up from Tuesday

Champions League, Lucho for the treble 

Luis Enrique in the final with PSG: Looking for his third triumph 

No goal fest this time, it finishes 1-1 in Munich with goals from Dembele and Kane. Kvara the best on the pitch. The coach won it last year with the Parisians and with Barcelona in 2015: They will take on Arsenal in Budapest on May 30

Now the world has lost its fantasy 

Farewell to Beccalossi: He was 69 years old. Altobelli: ‘I died with him’ 

Referees, the FIGC votes for change 

Commissioner at the AIA 

The decision from the federal council is expected next week. Pinzani and Butti met with the prosecutor yesterday 

Tuttosport 

‘Dusan, Juve is already your top’ 

Interview with Pantaleo Corvino 

The Lecce general manager, who is playing for survival against Juventus on Saturday, is the man who discovered Vlahovic: ‘They still have a lot to give each other. He could score more than 20 goals a season with Spalletti. He’s a gem: I brought him to Florence amidst great scepticism’. Alaba, who is leaving Madrid, has been offered for the defence. Atletico offering Cardoso to keep Nico Gonzalez. Surveys underway for Pisilli

And who could beat these?

Champions League, PSG draw 1-1 on Bayern’s turf, final against Arsenal 

Dembele strikes after three minutes, the equaliser from Kane doesn’t arrive until the 94th. The champions of Europe will defend their title in Budapest on May 30

Toro, three-year deal for Gattuso

The Granata proposal for the former CT. The alternative remains Juric 

Petrachi supports the move, Cairo also keeps the Croatian option open. D’Aversa at the bottom of the pack. Relegated Wolverhampton tempt Adams with a maxi-contract. Ferrante: ‘Winning the derby would at least give some meaning to the season’

Evaristo and the art of football 

Farewell to Beccalossi

Nicola Zalewski joined Jose Mourinho in complaining about the artificial turf used by Bodo/Glimt in the Conference League. ‘Playing a quarter-final on a pitch like this is unimaginable.’

Since this article was written, the debate around artificial turf in European competitions has continued, particularly in Norway following Bodo/Glimt’s later UEFA campaigns and broader discussions about playing conditions, with Norwegian sites such as Kongebonus also covering the topic.

This was the third time these sides have crossed paths in the Conference League this season and the Giallorossi have never won.

They lost 6-1 here in October for the group phase, drew 2-2 at the Stadio Olimpico and were beaten 2-1 this evening in the first leg of the quarter-final.

Lorenzo Pellegrini had put Roma in front, but Ulrik Saltnes redirected the Brice Wembangomo effort for a Rui Patricio howler and Hugo Vetlesen was totally unmarked to nod in from a free kick.

“There are regrets, because we controlled the game in every moment until going behind. As ever in football, incidents make the difference and we need a great performance in a week’s time,” Zalewski told Sky Sport Italia.

Jose Mourinho complained that the artificial turf in Norway was ‘plastic’ and caused Gianluca Mancini’s knee injury.

“Playing a quarter-final of a European competition on a pitch like this is just unimaginable. Hopefully, UEFA will take action in future years, because this playing surface causes serious injuries.”

With the late Matias Vina error to give away the free kick, it looks as if teenager Zalewski isn’t giving up his spot anytime soon.

“I try to do everything I can with every ball so I can help the team. I am not feeling the pressure, my teammates and the staff are helping a great deal.”

Juventus defender Federico Gatti has reportedly rejected Galatasaray, but would be open to the Premier League with interest from Everton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

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The central defender turns 28 in June and is expected to leave Turin at the end of the season, considering he has fallen down the pecking order since Luciano Spalletti took over.

His contract runs to June 2030, so the asking price for the Italy international would be around €20-25m.

Gatti has his eye on Premier League

According to Tuttosport, Gatti had been approached by Galatasaray in recent weeks, but was not impressed with the proposal and is waiting for a Premier League move.

He might have no shortage of interested parties, because the newspaper suggests that Everton have been tracking him for a while, now joined by Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.

Fulham are another alternative, although they are seemingly further behind the other Premier League clubs in this race.

Gatti was late to top flight football, not making his Serie B debut until August 2021 with Frosinone, and then earning the transfer to Juventus in 2022 for €9m.

Italian VAR Marco Di Bello came under fire during the Champions League semi-final between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, but the IFAB rules explain why he was correct.

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The 44-year-old Italian official was in the booth for tonight’s match at the Allianz Arena in Munich, the second leg after a 5-4 thriller in Paris last week.

Di Bello representing Italy in Champions League

He infuriated Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and the fans when deciding not to intervene after the ball clearly struck Joao Neves on the outstretched arm.

Referee Joao Pinheiro of Portugal had also not pointed to the spot for the incident, but he waited for confirmation from Di Bello and was told to play on.

This caused a huge amount of controversy in the media and in the stadium itself, but the IFAB rules show Di Bello was right not to suggest an On-Field Review.

It is because the ball was fired onto Joao Neves’ arm by PSG teammate Vitinha.

No penalty for Bayern Munich

The referee waves away the handball appeals as play continues!

TNT Sports & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/K3owB1VoGT

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 6, 2026

In their bid to clarify the handball rules, IFAB added a caveat to the laws of the game, noting specifically that it is not a handling offence if a player is “hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards, in which case a direct free-kick is awarded to the other team).”

When it came to another handball row earlier on Nuno Mendes and PSG wanted a second yellow card, Di Bello could not get involved, as the VAR is not allowed to deal with bookings unless they are to be upgraded to straight red cards.

TWO huge handball shouts from Bayern Munich

The referee gives neither pic.twitter.com/FTyTUmnwQM

— CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 6, 2026

Fabio Grosso has made such an impact as coach of Sassuolo that he is being linked with several other clubs, including Napoli, Fiorentina, Lazio and Bologna.

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The 48-year-old remains most famous for his playing career, with a decisive role in Italy’s 2006 World Cup triumph, but has become a strong coach since hanging up his boots in 2012.

After a spell at the Juventus youth academy, he worked at Bari, Verona, Brescia, SC Sion, Frosinone and Olympique Lyonnais.

Sassuolo flourished with Grosso

Grosso returned to Italy for Sassuolo in 2024 and took them to promotion from Serie B with five games to spare, then this season has steered them to mid-table comfort.

According to Sport Mediaset, this has put his name on the wish list for many Serie A clubs, above all Fiorentina, where he already worked with director Fabio Paratici at Juve.

They are the favourites, especially as Paolo Vanoli is not expected to stay on after rescuing the club from the threat of relegation.

Other options include Bologna if Vincenzo Italiano decides to move on, while even Napoli and Lazio have considered Grosso in case of a change of direction from Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri.

Sassuolo have put together 14 victories, seven draws, and 14 defeats in Serie A this season as a newly-promoted team.

Curtis Jones dropped a social media hint he would appreciate a move to Inter, while Antonio Cassano claims the Liverpool player is ‘better than Scott McTominay’ at Napoli.

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The midfielder had already been close to this transfer in January, but that fell apart when Davide Frattesi stayed on at San Siro.

Now with a contract that runs down in June 2027, the Nerazzurri are ready to try again and this time Liverpool could be convinced to make a sale.

Jones still thinking about Inter move

It was noted that Jones is keeping a close eye on Inter, because he liked Marcus Thuram’s post on Instagram celebrating the Scudetto victory.

Meanwhile, others are advising Inter to go for the England international, who came up through the Liverpool youth academy.

“He would be a really good signing, he is a mezz’ala with pace, a player suited to the Champions League,” former Italy and Inter player Cassano said on the Viva El Futbol podcast.

“He would be better than McTominay. He has a lot of quality and has won a lot at Liverpool while actually playing, not like Zaccardo and Barzagli who are World Cup winners and played very little.”

McTominay was named Serie A Player of the Season last year when taking Napoli to the Scudetto in his debut campaign after leaving Manchester United.

Cassano is no stranger to controversial comments and made other rather bold claims in the same podcast when trying to draw up his Inter squad for next season.

“I would have a four-man defence, you could put anyone in goal and it wouldn’t make a difference. If you have Nico Paz behind Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, they can hand you the Scudetto before you even start.

“In Italy, Inter could play 2-3-5 and still win.”

Juventus are reportedly ready to sell Fabio Miretti this summer with a €20m price tag, as Bologna, Lazio and Fiorentina are interested after a Napoli offer.

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The midfielder had already been approached by Napoli last term only to see it rejected by the Bianconeri, but now that Luciano Spalletti is in charge, the club has other ideas for his future.

According to Calciomercato, the youth academy product is on the market also because he would provide a pure profit from his sale, helping to boost the club coffers.

Juventus ready to sell Miretti

He failed to impress Spalletti, who is seeking a different type of player in the midfield for next season.

Still only 22 years old, his contract runs to June 2028 and there is no shortage of Serie A sides ready to take him on.

They include Fiorentina, Bologna and Lazio, who would all give Fagioli some regular playing time in the starting XI.

The asking price has been set at a reported fee of €20m, but Napoli might not necessarily come back in for the Italian.

There is a new way to experience San Siro before the iconic stadium gets torn down, as for the next few months you can walk along the rafters 55 metres over the pitch.

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Milan and Inter have now purchased the land around the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, and plan to build a new arena in what is essentially the car park.

Once that is completed, the idea is to knock down the legendary structure.

San Siro opens up for Skywalk tour

Meanwhile, a new way of experiencing the stadium is available for fans, as a skywalk has been opened up allowing people to traverse the red metal beams that criss-cross the roof.

From that vantage point, they can look around at the city of Milan around them, and down at the pitch from a height of 55 metres.

The third tier was put in place for the 1990 World Cup, so the tour would also involve a talk on the architectural history of the arena.

It is the latest attempt to extract some revenue from the stadium, an area where both Inter and Milan have been frustrated at the lack of opportunities.

It can be combined with the museum tour package for visitors to San Siro.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch has slammed Italian tactician Roberto De Zerbi for being ‘a real a**hole’ with Sassuolo and CANMNT midfielder Ismael Kone. ‘Now look at him flourishing.’

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The shocking outburst happened when Marsch was speaking to the Call It What You Want podcast on CBS Sports Golazo America.

He was asked which player had improved the most for Canada and named Sassuolo midfielder Kone, who has flourished this season in Serie A.

However, he also used it as an opportunity to blame one of Kone’s former coaches, as De Zerbi famously humiliated the young player in training at Olympique Marseille.

Marsch praise for Kone is criticism for De Zerbi

“You know, when I took over the team, I think Ismael was a raw, talented person,” Marsch said on the podcast.

“And since then, I’ve talked to him a lot about discipline and concentration and everything from what that means in his daily life, in his nutrition, in his sleep habits, in the way he trains and the way he shows up every day, in the way he plays, in his overall intelligence.

“Going to Italy and playing for a team that was newly promoted, and having to fight through a situation like that in a very organised league, he’s played an incredibly important role in that team and had a great year.

“So I mean, it would probably be easy to say that Ismael is the one. Not just from what I’ve done with him and what the national team has done with him but also what he’s been able to achieve in his career, and the steps he’s been able to make through difficulty I might add.

“Because it wasn’t easy with De Zerbi and Marseille. De Zerbi was a real, real a**hole with him and he stayed strong. He never doubted himself. He found a new situation, and now look at him flourishing.

“Let me reiterate. De Zerbi was a real a**hole with him.”

The incident in training was when Kone failed to follow some instructions, so De Zerbi declared loudly that he should get off the field and “call your agent” to find another club, because he would not be getting another opportunity with Marseille.

De Zerbi has since left Olympique Marseille too and is now the coach of Tottenham Hotspur, trying to drag them out of the Premier League relegation zone.

As for Kone, the 23-year-old made the move to Sassuolo in July 2025 on loan for €2.5m, making it permanent for a further €10m over the summer.

The Canada international scored six goals in 32 Serie A appearances this season.

There are reports Max Allegri won’t stay, so Milan could look towards ex-Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso or Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano, but one of them is heading to Chelsea.

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The tension is growing behind the scenes after a run of dismal results put Champions League qualification at risk going into the final three rounds of the Serie A season.

Long-term Milan reporter and commentator Carlo Pellegatti claims on his YouTube channel that Allegri is at loggerheads with CEO Giorgio Furlani and will not have another season with him pulling the strings.

This is because it’s rumoured the Rossoneri signed players that Allegri quite simply did not want as part of his squad.

Milan looking for Allegri alternatives

If the coach was to walk away or get fired, then Furlani would turn towards other candidates, and they are already looking around.

The ideal would be Xabi Alonso, who had success at Bayer Leverkusen and was fired by Real Madrid in January, just 34 games into his tenure.

However, the same source insists that Alonso is already in advanced negotiations with troubled Chelsea.

Instead, the next most likely alternative is Italiano, who has hit a plateau at Bologna after beating Milan in the Coppa Italia Final last season.

He had already been considered for the San Siro job before Allegri was appointed.

Top scorer Donyell Malen is training separately from his Roma teammates today, as he deals with a fitness issue in the closing weeks of the season.

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The Netherlands international has been on sensational form since his loan move from Aston Villa in January, with an option to buy for €25m that will be activated in June.

He has so far scored 12 goals in only 17 competitive appearances for the club, along with three assists, and is their top scorer despite only joining mid-season.

Roma eager to avoid Malen setbacks

Malen was spotted training separately from the rest of the Roma squad today at the Trigoria ground, prompting worried questions about whether he could be injured.

However, the Corriere dello Sport insists this was a planned recovery programme following the 4-0 victory over Fiorentina on Monday evening.

Malen was unaccustomed to playing this often at Aston Villa, so with the final push for Champions League qualification coming up, the fitness staff decided to give him a specialised schedule to get him at his best.

Roma will be back in action on Sunday evening when visiting Parma at the Stadio Tardini.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Jose Mourinho has demanded the sacking of Italian fitness coach Antonio Pintus if he is to take the Real Madrid job.

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There are multiple reports over the last few days that the players are irritated with Alvaro Arbeloa and are looking for a new tactician, but could look back for the return of Mourinho.

He had first taken the job when leaving Inter in the wake of their Treble triumph of 2010, where they won the Scudetto, Champions League and Coppa Italia.

Mourinho urges Real Madrid to sack Italian coach

In order to come back, it’s reported Mourinho has a list of demands that were set out during a video call with President Florentino Perez.

They included a request that Real Madrid fire Italian fitness coach Pintus, a 63-year-old who has had several different spells with the Merengues.

He first joined them from 2016 to 2019, then went to work with Antonio Conte at Inter from 2019-21.

There was a return to Real Madrid that summer, working as performance manager and fitness coach in various roles.

Pintus has also worked at Juventus, Chelsea, Sunderland, Olympique Marseille and other clubs.

It is not clear why Mourinho is so dead set against keeping the Italian as part of his coaching staff.

Among the other requests, the Special One also wants at least a two-year contract, for the club to appoint a formal spokesman (something he had already complained about with Roma), absolute independence on sporting decisions, and allowing players to seek a second medical opinion on injuries.

Robert Lewandowski’s agent met with several Italian clubs, including Milan and Juventus, but it’s reported the Bianconeri are cooling their interest.

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The veteran could be available on the transfer market this summer as a free agent, because his current contract with Barcelona runs to June 30, with the possibility of an extension.

Lewandowski tipped for Serie A move

His representative Pini Zahavi is looking around for alternative destinations and that could be in Serie A, so he visited Italy over the last few days for a series of meetings.

It had been suggested that Juve were the biggest rivals to Milan for Lewandowski, but Sky Sport Italia pundit Gianluca Di Marzio insists the talks did little to fuel the fire of their interest.

Instead, Juventus are increasingly frosty on the idea of signing the Poland international, who will celebrate his 38^th birthday in August.

His wage demands are believed to be a major part of the concerns around signing Lewandowski, who scored 18 goals in 42 competitive games for Barcelona so far this season.

Both potential FIGC Presidential candidates Giancarlo Abete and Giovanni Malagò met with the Lega Serie B today, and whoever they support could be in charge of Italian football.

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The role is currently empty following the resignation of Gabriele Gravina in the wake of Italy’s failure to qualify for a third consecutive edition of the World Cup.

The Lega Serie A, Coaches Association and Players Association have all given their public backing to former CONI President Malagò.

The LND (Amateur League) has the largest share of the votes in the process and is obviously supporting their current President Abete for the role.

New FIGC President to be decided

Both men met with the Lega Serie B today, discussing their plans for the future of Italian football, and listening to the proposals and problems of the clubs.

“It was a positive and useful day,” assured Lega Serie B President Paolo Bedin.

“We outlined a document with what we consider to be the priorities, with Abete and Malagò answering numerous questions. Over the next two or three days we’ll discuss it with the 20 club owners and see who to support.”

The Lega Serie B vote is worth only six per cent of the decision-making process, with the election scheduled for June 22.

Only once a new FIGC President is elected will there be the opportunity to choose the next Italy coach.

Malagò has not technically confirmed he is standing for the election of new FIGC President yet, insisting he will make a decision only after meeting the Lega Pro on Friday.

Juventus and Roma are battling for Champions League football, but it’s reported they could swap Evan Ndicka with Teun Koopmeiners this summer.

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There is just one point separating these two teams in the Serie A table going into the final three rounds, so the fight for fourth place could go down to the wire.

Meanwhile, La Gazzetta dello Sport claim the clubs are also ready to do business off the field with a potential exchange deal.

Koopmeiners to Roma, Ndicka for Juventus?

The idea would be to reunite former Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini with midfielder Koopmeiners, who has struggled badly in a variety of roles since his €58m move to Juventus in 2024.

He never managed to recreate the kind of form he showed under Gasperini in Bergamo, and Juve simply want to make back some of the money spent on the Dutchman.

There could potentially be a swap with Roma defender Ndicka going to Turin.

The 26-year-old is under contract with the Giallorossi until June 2028, having arrived as a free agent in 2023.

Juventus are looking for a central defender who is left-footed and can work in Luciano Spalletti’s style of football, alternating with Lloyd Kelly as a partner to Gleison Bremer.

The asking price for Ndicka would be around €40m, especially as he is one of the alternatives to Inter and Barcelona when it comes to Alessandro Bastoni.

Edoardo Bove sent a mixed message to Watford after returning to the field in the wake of his cardiac arrest. ‘I cannot deny I hoped it would be easier to find space.’

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The former Roma midfielder was on loan at Fiorentina when he collapsed during a Serie A match against Inter in December 2024.

He was revived on the pitch and rushed to a local hospital, where an implanted defibrillator was provided to deal with the undiagnosed heart condition.

Italian rules ban athletes from having these implants, so Bove had to terminate his contract by mutual consent and go abroad, signing for Watford in January 2026.

Bove made 11 Championship appearances, scoring one goal, but only two were in the starting XI.

Bove message from Watford

“After more than a year away from the field, these four months meant a lot,” wrote Bove on Instagram.

“I am happy to have started again and to put football back at the centre of my life. I thank all those who made that possible.

“At the same time, I cannot deny I had hoped it would be easier to find space, the match tempo, and sensations of a real game.

“However, this too is football: wanting to return isn’t enough, you must earn it all back, day by day.

“I am ready, the next season has already started for me.”

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Edoardo Bove (@edo_bove)

It remains to be seen if that will be with Watford, because while the contract runs to June 2031, there is reportedly a clause allowing them to break it off earlier.

As long as he has the implant, then he cannot play his football in Italy.

Fabio Capello believes that Arsenal were the better side in every aspect of their Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, but believes that ‘the most beautiful thing’ about the Gunners’ victory was their supporters. 

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Capello reacts to Arsenal 1-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal booked their spot in the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years thanks to their 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, which sealed a 2-1 aggregate scoreline. 

Mikel Arteta’s side will go on to face the winner of the other semi-final taking place on Wednesday evening, between Bayern Munich and reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain. 

Capello was in the Sky Sport Italia studio for coverage of Tuesday night’s semi-final second leg between Arsenal and Atletico, and explained why he felt that Arsenal were the better side over the two legs. 

“They were the more complete side with more personality,” Capello explained. “When they wanted to keep hold of possession, they did it, the same when they wanted to press. It was always Arsenal that had it in them.”

In the end, it was a tap-in from England international Bukayo Saka that sent Arsenal through to their first Champions League final since 2006. 

“It was a nice goal, but it was a bit careless in defence on the rebound,” said Capello. 

“But, the most beautiful thing for me was the crowd, who suffered until the very end and then got the chance to celebrate after 20 years.

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu has attracted interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa in the Premier League, but the Bianconeri are reportedly preparing to offer the Frenchman a contract extension.

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Caughtoffside reports that Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United have set their sights on Juventus defender Kalulu.

Juventus reluctant to sell Kalulu despite EPL interest

According to the report, Liverpool have been following the versatile French defender for the whole season, filing positive scouting reports on him.

Manchester United and Aston Villa are also interested in the ex-Milan star, but Juventus are unwilling to sell the 25-year-old this summer.

Kalulu is in his second season at the Allianz Stadium, as the Old Lady made his loan move permanent from Milan at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

According to the report, the Bianconeri are reluctant to sell the Frenchman and are preparing a new contract running until 2030, with a pay rise to €3.5m per season plus add-ons.

Kalulu’s current deal at the Allianz Stadium expires in 2029 and if the two parties fail to reach an agreement, then Juventus could listen to offers in the region of €40m.

Napoli will have to find a new club for Noa Lang after transfer pundit Fabrizio Romano reported Galatasaray will not activate their €30m option to buy.

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The Netherlands international was purchased from PSV Eindhoven last summer at a cost of €25m plus bonuses and a 10 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

With one goal and two assists in 27 competitive appearances for Napoli, only nine in the starting XI, it was decided to part ways with him after just six months.

He struggled to gel with his teammates and Serie A football, but above all clashed with coach Antonio Conte, repeatedly criticising him in the media since the January loan to Galatasaray.

Lang struggled at Napoli and Galatasaray

It was hoped that the Turkish club would take Lang off their hands permanently by using the €30m buy option, having already paid €2m for the six-month loan.

His situation has not improved much there either, so with two goals and two assists in 17 games, transfer pundit Romano reports that Galatasaray will sent Lang back to Italy.

Curiously, both those goals were in the Champions League play-offs against Juventus on February 17.

There is very little chance of Napoli keeping him, especially if Conte remains, so they are looking for either a quick sale or another loan with option to buy that won’t make him a net financial loss.

Former Italy international Aldo Serena doubts that Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth would solve Milan’s attacking woes: ‘Are we sure?’ he wrote on social media after the Colchoneros’ loss to Arsenal.

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Aldo Serena, a former Milan, Inter and Juventus striker, raised concerns over the Rossoneri potentially signing Atletico Madrid striker Sorloth this summer.

Serena hints that Milan should not sign Sorloth

The Norway international was introduced as a substitute in the second half of Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 loss against Arsenal on Tuesday night and squandered a potential goal-scoring chance, miskicking the ball inside Arsenal’s penalty area.

Serena posted a picture of Sorloth on X social media with a message for the Rossoneri: “Milan, are we sure?” wrote the ex-striker.

La Gazzetta dello Sport has reported that Sorloth has become Milan’s top attacking target for 2026-27, following the high wage demands of Dusan Vlahovic and Robert Lewandowski.

According to the pink paper, Sorloth has already given the green light to join Milan, though the Serie A giants have yet to reach an agreement with Atletico Madrid.

Sorloth, 30, has scored 19 goals in 50 appearances with Atletico Madrid this season, where his contract expires in June 2028.

Milan, siamo sicuri? #Sørloth pic.twitter.com/3B2agCS49N

— Aldo Serena (@Aldito11) May 5, 2026

Inter Vice President Javier Zanetti admits he’s an admirer of Nico Paz, but the Como talent will ‘surely’ return to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

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Zanetti: ‘Nico Paz surely returning to Real Madrid’

Inter Vice President Zanetti reveals his compatriot Nico Paz will surely return to Real Madrid at the end of the season.

“I admire him, and his father is a great friend of mine,” Zanetti said during an event on Tuesday, via Sport Mediaset.

“He would fit well in any top side, but signing him is complicated. Surely, he’ll return to Real Madrid.”

Como signed Nico Paz on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2024, leaving Real Madrid with an option to re-sign the Argentine until 2027.

Multiple sources have claimed over the last few months that Real Madrid would activate their option to re-sign the 21-year-old at the end of the season, and Zanetti has now confirmed that Paz is set to return to the Estadio Bernabeu.

Nico Paz has scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in 39 appearances across all competitions under Cesc Fabregas at Como this season.

Recent reports from Corriere dello Sport and other reputable Italian media outlets indicate that Inter are still interested in Nico Paz, despite his anticipated return to Real Madrid.

The Argentine’s future with the La Liga giants will, in fact, largely depend on the new coach’s decision.

Inter coach Cristian Chivu, players and directors will meet Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on Saturday May 9, ahead of their two matches with Lazio.

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The team will be in the Eternal City for several days due to a bizarre quirk of the fixture list, meaning they have back-to-back games against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.

They’ll face off here in Serie A on the evening of Saturday May 9, then again on Wednesday May 13 for the Coppa Italia Final.

Pope Leo to congratulate Inter

Inter celebrated their Scudetto victory at the weekend, and so will meet with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican on the morning of Saturday May 9, at 10.00 local time.

Coach Chivu, President Beppe Marotta, directors and the entire squad will be present for the encounter, which is just a few hours before kick-off at 18.00 local time.

It has become a tradition for the team that wins the Serie A title to meet with the Pope in a special audience, as Antonio Conte’s Napoli had the same experience last summer with the American Pope, who had only recently been given the role.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino pays tribute to Inter legend Evaristo Beccalossi: ‘You were a friend of mine; today I lose a part of myself.’

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Inter legend Beccalossi died on Tuesday night aged 69.

He had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in January 2025, which left him in a coma for 47 days before he began a long rehabilitation process.

Infantino pays tribute to Inter legend Beccalossi

The former Inter midfielder scored 30 goals in 249 Serie A appearances, also playing for Brescia and Sampdoria.

Beccalossi was one of the idols of FIFA President Infantino, who honoured the ex-Italian midfielder on social media on Wednesday.

“If I love football, it’s mostly because of you,” Infantino wrote in an Instagram story.

“You made my heart beat, you showed me the way, and you were a friend of mine. Today I lose a part of myself. Rest in peace, my dear Evaristo.”

Less than two months ago, Infantino released an interview discussing the impact Beccalossi had on his life and career.

“One of my first idols was Evaristo Beccalossi, a No. 10 who didn’t play in that World Cup or with the national team because the coach had other plans. Inter’s No. 10 made us dream,” he said.

Beccalossi won the 1979-80 Serie A title and the 1981-82 Coppa Italia with Inter. He also lifted the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria in the 1984-85 campaign.

Infantino is an Inter fan and celebrated the Nerazzurri’s Serie A title just a few days ago with another Instagram story.

Milan fans have started a petition urging the club to sack CEO Giorgio Furlani, who blame him for the lack of a clear transfer strategy.

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It had been suggested that appointing a sporting director like Igli Tare last summer would provide some much-needed clarity to the club when it came to choosing players and negotiating deals.

However, multiple reports continue to claim the final decision has to go through Furlani, therefore slowing down the process, and providing Max Allegri with a squad full of players unsuited to his style of football.

Milan fans turn on Furlani

Furlani is also the closest representative to owner Gerry Cardinale, so as Milan fans cannot take out their anger on the chief, they are instead focusing on him as the issue.

With a series of comments on the official club X account calling for Furlani to be fired, now some have even started a formal petition, which has already picked up thousands of signatures from angry supporters.

He has been on the board of directors since 2018 and was appointed CEO in November 2022.

The Rossoneri had been in the Scudetto race until a month ago, collapsing with just seven points in the last seven Serie A rounds, and now even a top four finish with Champions League qualification is at risk.

Only five Italians have won the Champions League with foreign clubs, and Riccardo Calafiori is not the only Azzurri player who could join this group this season.

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Which Italian players have won the Champions League with foreign clubs?

Calafiori’s Arsenal have secured a spot in the 2025-26 Champions League Final by beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.

Only five Italian players have won the Champions League with foreign clubs: Christian Panucci for Real Madrid in 1998, Thiago Motta for Barcelona in 2006, Jorginho and Emerson Palmieri at Chelsea in 2021 and Gianluigi Donnarumma at PSG in 2025.

Motta also lifted the Cup with the Big Ears with Inter in 2010.

Calafiori is not the only Italian who can win Europe’s elite club competition this season.

PSG, in fact, have another Italian player in their team: third-choice keeper Renato Marin.

The 19-year-old was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but holds an Italian passport and has made 12 appearances with the Italy U19 team.

A former Roma goalkeeper, Marin joined PSG on a free transfer from the Giallorossi last summer and has made two appearances at a senior level with the Ligue 1 giants this term.

Marin’s PSG will visit Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semis at the Allianz Arena in Munich tonight with the French side holding a 5-4 lead.

Stanislav Lobotka was a key figure in Luciano Spalletti’s Scudetto-winning Napoli side, and it’s reported the coach has requested a reunion at Juventus.

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The Slovakia international pulled the midfield strings for Spalletti when they marched to the Serie A title in 2023.

According to Calciomercato, the coach believes he would be the man to take Juve to the next level if they get into the Champions League for next season.

It would be a very tricky transfer to pull off, as the two clubs are bitter rivals and rarely agree to exchange players on the transfer market.

Juventus keep eye on Lobotka

Lobotka has been with Napoli since 2020 and his contract runs to June 2027, although the club does have an option to extend by another year.

Notably, that option is only activated if he plays at least 50 per cent of all official games in the 2026-27 season, otherwise he’d be a free agent.

He turns 32 in November and played less than usual this term due to a series of injury problems, still making 38 appearances with one goal and one assist.

There is a release clause in Lobotka’s contract worth €25m, but it is only valid for clubs outside of Italy until mid-July.

Many of the Napoli players have these clauses in place, as they were put there in the wake of Juventus buying out Gonzalo Higuain, so the club wanted to avoid it repeating.

With that in mind, the chances of Aurelio De Laurentiis agreeing to hand Lobotka over to Juventus are very slim and he would cost at least €30m.

His agent had hinted at issues with Antonio Conte’s rigorous training methods, but then brushed those off as a joke later.

The scheduling of the upcoming Derby della Capitale between Roma and Lazio in Serie A is still causing severe logistical issues, and the latest updates suggest that the game is ‘likely’ to be moved from its currently-proposed Sunday lunchtime kick-off slot. 

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Why is the time and date of Roma vs. Lazio causing so many issues?

Roma will host archrivals Lazio in the penultimate round of 2025-26 Serie A fixtures, and is currently scheduled to be played at 11.30 BST (12.30 CET) on Sunday, May 17. 

Maurizio Sarri has recently claimed “it is an insult to the city of Rome” to play the derby on a Sunday lunchtime, suggested that whoever came up with the idea should resign and added: “Ask the Lega Serie A why they didn’t make Inter and Milan play at that time.”

There are several reasons, however, why the league originally decided to play the game at 12.30 local time on a Sunday afternoon. 

Firstly, May 17 is also the date of the men’s singles final at the Italian Open, which could feature home favourite Jannik Sinner. The Italian Open is hosted at Foro Italico, the same site that houses the Stadio Olimpico.

This is a safety concern and also presents an issue in terms of police and security resources. The regular main entrance to the Curva Sud side of the Stadio Olimpico will be blocked off for football supporters in order to allow access to the tennis stadium for the Italian Open. 

This was already an issue when the final of the Italian Open clashed with the Lazio vs. Juventus match at the end of last season, and is only expected to intensify given the heated rivalry between Roma and Lazio and the history of clashes between supporters. 

As a result of the previous fan trouble around the Derby della Capitale, the suggestion of playing the game late in the evening has already been ruled out. Any later than lunchtime on Sunday afternoon, and there will be a direct clash with the Italian Open final. The game cannot be played on the Saturday either, as it is too close to Lazio’s Coppa Italia final against Inter, which is being held a few days before on Wednesday, May 13. 

And, with growing pressure from local authorities to ensure both the derby and the Italian open final run as smoothly as possible, there have been calls to move the Roma vs. Lazio match to Monday, May 18 instead, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

The added complication in this scenario, however, is that Roma are one of several sides still competing for a Champions League spot. And, given that the 37th round of Serie A fixtures could be the decisive week in the race for the Champions League, all games involving teams that are still in the fight for the top four must be played at the same to ensure competitive fairness. 

So, if Roma vs. Lazio is moved to the Monday evening, then Genoa vs. Milan, Juventus vs. Fiorentina, Como vs. Parma and potentially Pisa vs. Napoli and even Atalanta vs. Bologna might have to be played then as well. 

For now, the situation remains unsettled. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, a definitive decision is likely to be made after the completion of the 36th round of Serie A fixtures coming up this weekend, when the Champions League picture may begin to start looking a bit clearer.

Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic is set to become a €40m transfer target for Inter, Juventus, Barcelona and Aston Villa, but Juve will profit regardless.

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The 23-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international has impressed this season for the Neroverdi and at international level, where he helped knock Italy out of the World Cup play-offs.

He is widely expected to be sold this summer and there is no shortage of clubs lined up for his services.

Muharemovic fate still tied to Juventus

Juventus signed him from Austrian club Wolfsberger in 2021 for their youth academy, and he made his way up through the Next Gen team until his loan to Sassuolo in 2024.

The sale was made permanent for just €2m last summer, but with Juve wisely retaining a 50 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

That means if Juventus were to bring him back to Turin, they’d effectively pay only half the asking price of €40m, and be able to register him as a player who came up through their academy.

Inter are the hot favourites to buy Muharemovic, although his future may well be tied up with that of Alessandro Bastoni.

The Corriere dello Sport point out that is doubly true, because Barcelona could see him as the cheaper alternative to the Italy international, whose cost would be at least €65m.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa in the Premier League could easily spend €40m for a young defender who just celebrated his 23rd birthday in February and already has 12 senior caps for Bosnia.

Marco Van Basten insists that foreign owners, including Milan’s, are ‘not interested’ in the history of Serie A clubs and admits he will support not only the Netherlands at the World Cup but also Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil.

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Van Basten hits out at foreign Serie A club owners

Former Milan striker Van Basten spoke about the state of Italian and Serie A football in an interview with SportMediaset.

“Currently, there are many foreign owners in Serie A, who have nothing to do with the clubs’ history, nor are they interested in it,” said the Dutch legend.

“It’s a shame. It would be important to bring Italian football back into Italian hands so it can return to the top of Europe.

“Milan are an example. They are no longer what they used to be. I often follow them, and I hope they’ll recover soon because Inter are dominating and I don’t like it at all.”

Italy have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, and inevitably, Van Basten was asked for his thoughts on the situation.

“Stars are currently missing. Italy have always had a great goalkeeper, a great defender, a great midfielder and a great striker,” he said.

“Today it’s not the same. It’s hard to see them, and it’s strange. Italian football used to rule the world, but it doesn’t anymore. I will support the Netherlands at the World Cup, but I don’t expect much. Therefore, I’ll support Ancelotti’s Brazil.”

Ancelotti and Van Basten played together at Milan from 1987 to 1992.

Napoli have repeatedly stated over the past few months that Rasmus Hojlund will stay at the Stadio Maradona beyond the summer, securing Manchester United a €50m fee.

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Manchester United loanee Hojlund is set to stay at Napoli beyond the summer, making his move to the Stadio Maradona permanent at the end of the season.

Hojlund set for permanent Napoli move from Man Utd

Old quotes from Napoli director Giovanni Manna have surfaced in English media today.

Manna already said at the end of December 2025 that Hojlund would remain at Napoli long-term and that his permanent transfer from Manchester United was just a “formality.”

In March 2026, the Napoli director reiterated in an interview with Sky Sport Italia that the club have an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League, but he suggested they would sign the Dane regardless of whether they finish in the top four.

Napoli’s plan to sign Hojlund permanently has been clear for months.

The Partenopei already paid €6m for his one-season loan spell and will add €44m to secure his signature permanently.

Hojlund has scored 14 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions this season.

Napoli sit second in the Serie A table with a six-point lead over fifth-placed Roma with three games remaining.

Italy international Riccardo Calafiori has reached the Champions League Final with Arsenal: ‘What a dream,’ wrote the ex-Bologna and Roma defender on social media.

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Italian defender Calafiori has reached the Champions League Final with Arsenal, who beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the second-leg semifinal on Tuesday.

Calafiori started the game and was replaced after 58 minutes by Piero Hincapié.

Calafiori reacted to Arsenal’s achievement on Instagram, sharing a picture from last night with a simple caption: “What a dream.”

Calafiori has scored one goal and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions this season.

The Italian defender then told Sky Sport: “It’s something huge. I think 20 years ago was the last time. We deserved it. We play for everything now. League [title] and the Champions League. We have full energy.”

Arsenal are also the Premier League table leaders, and winning the last four games of the season would allow them to secure a historic double.

“I’ve been thinking about it since the beginning of the season, to be honest,” admitted Calafiori.

“It’s like a dream now, and I hope it becomes true.”

• Read more – Del Piero tells Capello: ‘One positive for Arsenal’ in Champions League Final

Fabio Capello is questioning whether Arsenal’s defence will be able to handle the speed of PSG or Bayern Munich’s attack in the Champions League Final. In response, Alessandro Del Piero says, ‘Anything can happen in a final, but over two legs, they wouldn’t have come out alive.’

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Italian football legends Del Piero, Capello and Alessandro Costacurta discussed Arsenal’s chances to win the Champions League after the Gunners beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Tuesday to qualify for the Final.

Del Piero, Capello and Costacurta discuss Arsenal’s chances of winning Champions League

“The question I ask myself is: will Arsenal’s defence be able to stop one of the two teams they’ll face in terms of speed?” Capello asked during Sky Sport Italia’s post-match show.

“Both Paris and Bayern have three or four positions where they can do whatever they want. Constant one-on-one situations. Right, left, centre. They are fast, strong, and they know how to shoot and score goals,” Del Piero replied.

“The positive thing for Arsenal is that it is a final. In my opinion, over the two legs, they wouldn’t have come out alive against either of them. In a final, anything can happen; there are many dynamics.”

Del Piero won the Champions League once as a footballer with Juventus, but lost Finals in 1997, 1998 and 2003.

Milan legend Costacurta, on the other hand, won the European trophy five times, losing twice in the final.

“When you play a stronger team, you can hold on for 90 minutes,” argued the ex-defender.

“Over 180 minutes, it becomes much harder.”

PSG and Bayern Munich will meet at the Allianz Arena in Munich tonight for the second leg of the Champions League semis after a spectacular 5-4 victory for the Ligue 1 giants in the first leg last week.

Inter were the last Serie A club to win the Champions League in 2010, and the Nerazzurri and Juventus have lost the final twice each since.

Donald Trump’s Envoy Paolo Zampolli insists it’s ‘very difficult to trust Iranians’, suggesting that Italy still have a chance to replace their national team at the World Cup, even though ‘time is running out.’

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Trump’s Special Envoy Zampolli insists Italy still has a slight chance of playing at the World Cup, as he fears the Iran national team might not show up for the tournament that kicks off on June 11.

Zampolli has already released several interviews about the matter, revealing that he had discussed Italy’s possible involvement in the competition should Iran fail to participate.

“I contacted Infantino with Trump’s support because FIFA regulations are lacking regarding the replacement of a team that does not show up,” Zampolli said in his latest interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

Zampolli: ‘Very difficult to trust Iran’

“If Iran were not to participate in the World Cup, Italy would have the right to participate, having won the World Cup four times and being the highest-ranked of the excluded teams.

“The key issue is understanding what the Iranians have in mind, as they are very difficult to trust,” Zampolli continued.

“They now say the team will come, but what do we do about those following them, which is not very welcome in the United States, given what is happening? The game is still open.”

There have been mixed reactions to the possibility of Italy replacing Iran at the World Cup, a scenario that remains quite unlikely, given that FIFA President Infantino has recently confirmed that the Iranians will regularly participate in the tournament.

Azzurri World Cup winner Fulvio Collovati said earlier this week that seeing Italy play at the World Cup after failing to qualify for the third time in a row would be “humiliating”, and many fans in the country feel the same.

“I can understand that, but how do they think Italians would react if the national team played in the World Cup?” asked Zampolli.

“Would they cheer as only we know how, or would they not watch the matches because we didn’t qualify on the field?”

When asked whether he’ll try to put more pressure on Infantino in the coming days, Trump’s Envoy replied: “I don’t think it’s necessary, even though time is running out. Last year, I alraedy convince him to hold the World Cup draw at the Trump-Kennedy Centre.”

Lastly, Zampolli revealed being an Inter fan who even watched many matches at the Stadio Meazza before moving to the USA.

“When I was young, I used to go to the Stadium in Curva Nord with the Boys,” he said.

“I’m happy Inter won the league title, but I’m not a die-hard fan. I experience sport as a means of uniting people and creating business opportunities.”

Milan legend Marcel Desailly feels Bayern Munich will win the Champions League this season and believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will be dark horses at the World Cup in the summer.

With the upcoming final stages of the UEFA Champions League and exciting run-ins for the domestic leagues across Europe, the football season has entered its most thrilling phase. Predicting which teams will come out on top is a challenge for fans as well as expert former players, like Marcel Desailly. The current odds present a number of intriguing opportunities, but exploring all the relevant betting bonus options on sites like NJ sportsbook promos before cementing those predictions with the bookies is always a sensible move for smart fans.

Inter reached the Champions League Final in 2023 and 2025, but unfortunately, this season, Serie A has no representative in the semi-finals of the three European club competitions: the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.

The crisis in Italy’s top flight mirrors the issues facing the Italian national team, which has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time.

Milan and France legend Desailly lifted the Champions League twice as a footballer, first at Marseille and then with the Rossoneri and has now predicted this season’s winner in Europe’s elite competition.

“I don’t know who will win, but I wish it were a different team, and I believe when I look at all the squads, it should be Bayern,” he told The Italian Football Podcast.

“Because of the consistency they’ve shown in the Bundesliga for the last two seasons, they have suffered but readjusted their philosophy to adapt to the talented squad they have.

“The consistency they have shown this season shows that to win the Champions League, you need these types of winners.

“PSG have been on and off throughout with injuries as well. Real Madrid has been a disaster in La Liga. Luckily, Barcelona made some mistakes, so they couldn’t open a 15-point lead. Barcelona’s defence is weak.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid were knocked out in the quarter-finals, losing to Atletico Madrid and Bayern, respectively.

“So today I will tell you that definitely the next winner of the Champions League will make me happy if it is Bayern Munich,” confirmed Desailly.

The former defender also won the World Cup with France in 1998, crowning an impressive playing career that included six years at Chelsea.

France won the World Cup in 2018 and reached the Final four years later, and Desailly feels they are still the team to beat, although there could be a surprise.

“I have to say France will win it, otherwise Deschamps will kill me [laughs]. Didier has been able to start two different teams. The potential of France is huge; the same can be said of Spain,” he said.

“But the surprise could come from Portugal. They have talented players. I would like Cristiano to get a reward like Messi got his reward. Let Cristiano get his reward.

“If France cannot make it, I will say that the surprise could come from Portugal.”

Parma defender Mariano Troilo mocked Inter star Nicolò Barella on Sunday over Italy’s failed World Cup qualification, but the Nerazzurri midfielder hit back: ‘They don’t even know who he is in Argentina.’

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There was tension between Parma defender Troilo and Inter midfielder Barella on Sunday during the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 victory at San Siro, which secured them their 21st Scudetto.

As reported by DAZN (via FCInter1908), Troilo stepped on Barella’s foot during a corner kick near the end of the game, prompting Inter captain Lautaro Martinez to defend his teammate by pushing Troilo, an Argentine compatriot, away.

Barella looked in a lot of pain while on the ground, but Troilo told him, “Get up, I didn’t even touch you.”

The Italian midfielder and Troilo continued provoking each other, prompting Inter coach Cristian Chivu to replace his star to avoid consequences.

When Barella arrived on the bench, he told his teammate Marcus Thuram what exactly had happened with the Parma defender.

“Do you know what he told me?” Barella asked.

“Shut up, Bobo, you’re out of the World Cup!”

The Inter midfielder sarcastically added before sitting on the bench: “They don’t even know who he is in Argentina!”

Former Inter and Brescia midfielder Evaristo Beccalossi has died aged 69: ‘Always one of us,’ wrote the Nerazzurri.

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Italian football mourns former midfielder Beccalossi, who died on Tuesday night aged 69.

Ex-Inter star Beccalossi dies at 69

The former Inter star suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in January 2025. After being in a coma for 47 days, he underwent a long rehabilitation period in his hometown, Brescia, where he tragically passed away last night.

Beccalossi would have 70 on May 12.

A former midfielder for the Rondinelle, Inter, Sampdoria, Monza, Barletta and Pordenone, Beccalossi scored 30 goals in 249 appearances in Italy’s top flight.

He played for Inter from 1978 to 1984, scoring 37 goals in 216 appearances across all competitions, and won the Serie A title in 1979-80.

During his time at the Stadio Meazza, Beccalossi also reached the 1980-81 European Cup semifinals and won the 1981-82 Coppa Italia. He did win the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria as well, in the 1984-85 campaign.

Beccalossi did not play for the Italy national team, but made three appearances with the U21 team and scored one goal in four matches with Italy’s Olympic team.

Inter paid tribute to their former midfielder with a statement on their official website.

“FC Internazionale Milano and the entire Inter community join in mourning the passing of Evaristo Beccalossi, and, in remembering him, extend the deepest condolences to his family,” the Nerazzurri said.

“It feels impossible. In the folds of memory and in everyday life, Evaristo was always one of us. Unpredictable, like his dribbling, unique, like his way of handling the ball.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Milan, record return for the Croatian

There’s Modric

On the bench against Genoa, on the pitch against Cagliari.

Rome derby and security: chaos fixture list

Thuram, I only see Inter

Thuram unleashed, fans go crazy

Marcus was decisive in the push that gave the Scudetto; he wants Coppa Italia too. Future? With black and blue colours.

Arsenal fly to the Final: Bayern-PSG to the last goal.

Corriere dello Sport

Arsenal at a fever pitch

They are in the Champions League Final and can win the Premier League after 22 years

Table for three

Muha, the spite

Total clash on Muharemovic: surprise move from Elkann’s club

Inter push to close the deal, but Juventus call

Ausilio has set the deal with Carnevali, but Ottolini tries to bring the defender back to Turin, also using the Bianconeri’s 50% clause. Assessments on Bastoni’s future.

Napoli, truce between Conte and Lukaku

Big Rom has returned to Castel Volturno: he met the teammates and the coach. He’ll continue to train separately.

Leao agitates Milan’s thoughts

Never so bad with the Rossoneri since 2019: he has completed only 24 dribbles from 56 and hasn’t scored in 65 days. Confirmation uncertain.

Roma, Gasp demands clear terms.

Signings, new director and medical staff: the coach wants to have a bigger impact: ‘We didn’t understand each other at the start of the season.’

Tuttosport

Mutual doubts: the Brazilian can leave

Bremer pain? Three top players worthy of Juve

Kim, Stone and Aké in the race for Spalletti’s new defence

Gleison has apologised for the mistake against Verona, but expected a call from the club for renewal and pay rise. The coach’s words and the 58m clause. Besides the South Korean of Bayern and the two Man City centre-backs, Baidoo and Ordonez are also on the radar. El Karouani on the left.

Saka celebrates, Cholo’s fury. Let’s enjoy Bayern-PSG.

Falcone, goodbye Lecce: Toro push

‘Ready for another experience.’ Petrachi has been closely following him for months, but the competition is growing. Livakovic is the alternative.

Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli says that he is ‘angry’ at the yellow card he received for simulation over the weekend, and says that Juventus need more ‘nastiness’ and to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to return to the Champions League next season. 

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Locatelli on Juventus 1-1 Verona, call for ruthlessness and yellow card for diving

Juventus remain locked in a battle with Roma and Como for a spot in next season’s Champions League. The Bianconeri occupy fourth spot on 65 points, Roma trail by one point and Como trail by three heading into the final three matches of the 2025-26 season. 

The gap between Juventus and Roma narrowed over the weekend, following a 1-1 draw between the Bianconeri and Hellas Verona and a 4-0 victory for the Giallorossi against Fiorentina on Monday night. 

Whilst there is only one point separating Juventus and Roma, Locatelli says there is comfort to be taken from the fact that the race is still in Juve’s control. He urges his teammates to be more ruthless heading into the final stretch, though. 

“I think we lack a bit of competitive nastiness in certain moments,” Locatelli told reporters at the launch event of Juve’s Strength of Stories podcast series. 

“We have to try to score when games are still open. Being clinical in front of goal helps us. The coach told us, we need a pinch of extra nastiness. 

The Bianconeri skipper insists that he is not distracted by the ‘pressure’ that some suggest is burdening the players heading into the final few matches of the season. 

“As I’ve always said, it’s a familiar concept in football, we’re used to this sort of pressure. The important thing is that it all still depends on us. We have to play these next few games with maturity. We’re trying, but we lack that wickedness.” 

Locatelli does not deny the fact that Juve were not at their best during their 1-1 draw with Verona, though: “As I’ve said, it still depends on us. We can’t be happy with the game we played against Verona.” 

Locatelli also took a moment to criticise the decision to show him a yellow card for simulation during the Verona draw. 

When asked how frustrated he was, he replied: “Very. I got angry. I don’t usually talk about referees, I don’t like that, but he can’t give me a yellow there. I was nervous, which is why I made a mistake, but I don’t dive. You can’t dive with VAR, there’s no point in giving me the yellow card.” 

Reports in Italy claim that there have been five meetings between Juventus and the entourage of striker Dusan Vlahovic in an attempt to come to an agreement over a new contract, but the parties are not yet aligned on figures, and most importantly, commission fees. 

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Report: Juventus and Vlahovic camp haggling over commission fees

Vlahovic is into the final two months of his Juventus contract and could potentially walk away from the Allianz Stadium for free at the end of June. He is earning a net salary of €12m on the final year of his Juventus deal, which makes him the highest-paid player in the division by some distance. 

Despite a 2025-26 season that has been heavily impacted by injuries, Juventus are still keen to tie Vlahovic down to a new deal, particularly knowing that he could potentially go on and join a direct league rival if his contract is allowed to expire next month. Milan and Bundesliga side Bayern Munich are both said to be interested. 

However, according to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there have now been five meetings between Juventus and Vlahovic’s camp, led by the striker’s father, Milos, but there is still no agreement over a new deal in place. 

Vlahovic has reportedly ‘opened up’ to the idea of signing a relatively short-term contract, potentially for two years. La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that a reduction of salary is not out of the question either, potentially to a contract ‘a la Yildiz’ i.e. for €6m-€7m per year. 

However, there are still issues relating to ancillary costs, i.e. commission fees and signing bonuses according to Tuesday’s reports.

Reports in Italy claim that Barcelona have been left ‘disappointed’ by the fact that a potential deal for Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni seems to be fading away, but there are also suggestions that the financially-troubled LaLiga giants should priorities the signing of a new striker rather than a new defender. 

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Why Bastoni’s move to Barcelona is beginning to look unlikely

For several weeks, reports in Spain and Italy have linked Barcelona with a summer move for Italy international Bastoni, who was part of the squad that celebrated Inter’s 21st Serie A title over the weekend. 

Nerazzurri President Beppe Marotta has recently admitted: “I won’t deny there is interest from Barcelona (in Bastoni), but nothing concrete yet.” 

However, according to the latest updates from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Barcelona’s interest in the left-sided defender is now beginning to fade away. 

There are several reasons for this, but perhaps most importantly is the player’s apparent unwillingness to leave San Siro this summer. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Inter value Bastoni in the region of €70m, but Barcelona had believed that they would be able to negotiate a discounted fee closer to €50m. In order for that to happen, though, they would have needed for Bastoni to express his desire to leave for Barcelona, thus forcing Inter’s hand into a sale.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, this has not happened, and the Nerazzurri have no intention of letting Bastoni go for a cut-price fee. 

Whether a €50m or a €70m fee, it is still a significant investment for a club who continue to feel the impact of LaLiga’s strict financial rules. As a result of their recent financial troubles, the only new, permanent signings that Barcelona have been able to complete over the last two seasons have been Dani Olmo in a €58m deal, Joan Garcia in a €27m deal and youngster Roony Bardghji in a €2m deal. 

Given that it has practically been a case of one new first-team signing per summer for Barcelona over the last two years, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggests that Bastoni would not be the best use of available funds during the upcoming transfer window. 

That is because Barcelona will likely need a new striker too, as the high-earning Robert Lewandowski, 37, is likely to leave the club this summer, which leaves Hansi Flick with a big gap to fill at centre-forward, which would likely be Barcelona’s priority rather than the signing of a luxury centre-back. 

Riccardo Calafiori and Matteo Ruggeri are both in the starting line-ups as Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League final on Tuesday evening.

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Arsenal and Atletico are level at 1-1 at the halfway stage of their Champions League semi-final after goals from Viktor Gyokeres and Julian Alvaerz, both from the penalty spot, at the Metropolitano last week.

Tonight’s second leg will kick off at 20.00 BST.

Calafiori keeps his place in the Arsenal starting XI after a stellar performance against Fulham in the Premier League over the weekend. The Italy international was denied his first goal at The Emirates after a late VAR review on Saturday.

The former Roma and Bologna defender had missed four matches across all competitions with a knock leading up to the first leg of this tie, and was left on the bench for the opening game last week. This is the first time since December that Calafiori has started two games in a row for Arsenal.

Ruggeri also keeps his place at left-back in the Atletico Madrid line-up. The former Atalanta wing-back has started in 12 of Atleti’s 15 Champions League outings this term and was one of several key players that Diego Simeone decided to rest for the LaLiga match against Valencia over the weekend.

Former Atalanta star Ademola Lookman also starts for Atletico, and former Dea goalkeeper Juan Musso is named among Simeone’s substitutes.

Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid: Confirmed line-ups

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres.

Subs: Kepa, Setford, Mosquera, Hincapie, Havertz, Odegaard, Norgaard, G.Jesus, Martinelli, Zubimendi, Dowman, Madueke. 

Atletico Madrid (4-4-2): Oblak; Pubill, Le Normand, Hancko, Ruggeri; Giuliano, Llorente, Koke, Lookman; Alvarez, Griezmann.

Subs: Musso, Gimenez, Lenglet, Molina, Bonar, J.Diaz, Mendoza, Cardoso, Alex B., Vargas, Sorloth, Almada. 

05-05-2026 20:00

1/2 Final

Emirates Stadium

Arsenal

Atl. Madrid

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Bukayo Saka

44'

2nd half

		81'		Marc Pubill
		90+6'		Koke

Match statistic

54

Possession %

46

13

Total shots

9

2

Shots on target

2

8

Shots off target

4

3

Blocked shots

3

5

Corners

2

1

Offsides

2

10

Fouls

13

Arsenal

Atl. Madrid

Starting lineups

1

David Raya

Goalkeeper

4

Ben White

Defender

6

Gabriel Magalhães

Defender

33

Riccardo Calafiori

Defender

58'

2

William Saliba

Defender

41

Declan Rice

Midfielder

49

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Midfielder

74'

7

Bukayo Saka

Attacker

58'

10

Eberechi Eze

Attacker

59'

19

Leandro Trossard

Attacker

83'

14

Viktor Gyökeres

Attacker

13

Jan Oblak

Goalkeeper

17

David Hancko

Defender

18

Marc Pubill

Defender

3

Matteo Ruggeri

Defender

24

Robin Le Normand

Defender

58'

6

Koke

Midfielder

14

Marcos Llorente

Midfielder

22

Ademola Lookman

Attacker

58'

7

Antoine Griezmann

Attacker

67'

20

Giuliano Simeone

Attacker

58'

19

Julián Álvarez

Attacker

67'

Substitutes

9

Gabriel Jesus

Attacker

13

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Goalkeeper

29

Kai Havertz

Attacker

16

Christian Nörgaard

Midfielder

35

Tommy Setford

Goalkeeper

3

Cristhian Mosquera

Defender

56

Max Dowman

Midfielder

5

Piero Hincapié

Defender

58'

20

Noni Madueke

Attacker

58'

8

Martin Ødegaard

Midfielder

59'

36

Martín Zubimendi

Midfielder

74'

11

Gabriel Martinelli

Attacker

83'

1

Juan Musso

Goalkeeper

15

Clément Lenglet

Defender

2

José María Giménez

Defender

32

Javier Boñar

Defender

21

Obed Vargas

Midfielder

34

Julio Díaz

Defender

4

Rodrigo Mendoza

Midfielder

16

Nahuel Molina

Defender

58'

9

Alexander Sörloth

Attacker

58'

5

Johnny Cardoso

Midfielder

58'

10

Álex Baena

Midfielder

67'

11

Thiago Almada

Midfielder

67'

Juventus have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Robert Lewandowski in Italy, but a face-to-face meeting with the Polish striker’s agent Pini Zahavi has yet to take place, leaving the situation unresolved as the Barcelona forward continues to weigh up his options.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, via CalcioMercato, Juventus have established a degree of priority over AC Milan through intermediary contacts with Zahavi, though the in-person meeting that will determine whether Italian clubs have a genuine chance remains to be scheduled.

Milan had moved first, attempting to replicate the kind of deal that brought Luka Modric to Serie A, but Juventus have since overtaken them in the race.

Lewandowski collecting all offers before making decision amid Juventus links

Lewandowski’s contract at Barcelona expires on June 30, making him a free agent, though the club retain a renewal clause in the agreement. Barcelona have so far respected an informal understanding that they would negotiate with the player before activating it rather than impose the option unilaterally.

The Poland international and his family are understood to want to gather all available proposals, including any renewed offer from Barcelona, as well as approaches from Chicago Fire and clubs in the Middle East, before making what is described as a life decision as much as a footballing one.

A resolution is not expected until after Barcelona have officially wrapped up their Liga title challenge.

Ismael Kone has a €35 million release clause in his Sassuolo contract that is valid until the end of July, with Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus all understood to be among the clubs interested in signing one of Serie A’s standout performers this season.

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According to Fabrizio Romano, via TuttoMercatoWeb, contacts between the parties are expected before the start of the World Cup, which Koné will feature in as a key member of the Canada squad.

Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali has also addressed the situation publicly. “I haven’t spoken with Inter or Milan about Koné, but it’s also true that we have had some requests from foreign clubs,” he said. “It’s possible that an Inter-Milan derby could emerge. We need to find the best situation for him, but at the same time for us too.”

Sassuolo open to Kone sale as Serie A giants circle ahead of World Cup

Milan sporting director Igli Tare has already publicly confirmed his club’s interest, and with the release clause set at a fixed figure, the race is likely to come down to the player’s preference rather than a negotiation over fee.

Inter and Juventus have also been linked with the Sassuolo man, in what promises to be a difficult battle for his signature.

As Carnevali noted, there is also interest from abroad in the Canadian, meaning Italian clubs will want to act fast to avoid missing out.

Koné will head into the summer with considerable leverage, having established himself as one of the most dynamic midfielders in Serie A this season.

Mandela Keita has emerged as one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe after an impressive debut Serie A season with Parma, with Atalanta joining Premier League sides Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in monitoring the Belgian.

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According to ParmaToday, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Atalanta’s interest is directly linked to the expected departure of Ederson, who is widely anticipated to leave Bergamo this summer with Manchester United understood to be ahead of Atletico Madrid in the race for his signature.

While Keita is a different profile to the Brazilian, he is reported to fit the technical criteria Raffaele Palladino’s side are working to ahead of next season.

Atalanta scouts watch Keita closely as Parma hold firm on valuation

Atalanta’s interest remains at an exploratory stage for now, with club scouts having watched Keita on multiple occasions to assess his physical qualities and ability to break into opposition lines.

No formal offer has been submitted by any of the interested clubs.

Keita arrived at Parma from Antwerp in the summer of 2024 for around €13 million and has developed into one of the cornerstones of Carlos Cuesta’s side.

Parma are under no financial pressure to sell, though as is often the case, the right offer could change the picture quickly.

Milan passed up the opportunity to sign Donyell Malen in January, with the Dutch striker having since transformed Roma’s attack under Gian Piero Gasperini and emerged as one of Serie A’s most effective forwards in the second half of the season.

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According to CalcioMercato, an intermediary offered Malen to Milan during the winter window, but the club declined to commit to an operation worth a total of around €27 million.

Instead, Roma secured the former Aston Villa forward on an onerous loan of approximately €2 million, with an obligation to buy that will be triggered should the Giallorossi qualify for next season’s Europa League or Champions League.

Malen form at Roma highlights Milan’s costly January miscalculation

The numbers make for uncomfortable reading from a Milan perspective.

Since joining Roma, Malen has scored 11 goals and contributed two assists in 15 Serie A appearances, adding a further assist in the Europa League against Bologna.

The Dutchman left Aston Villa seeking a club that would trust him as an out-and-out centre-forward rather than a wide attacker, and Gasperini’s direct, vertical system has brought out the best in him.

Milan’s January business, by contrast, yielded little. Sporting director Igli Tare operated without a significant budget, and the arrival of Niclas Fullkrug, the only notable attacking addition, has produced just one goal, against Lecce.

Inter Milan’s home kit for the 2026/27 season has been leaked online, with Footy Headlines revealing images of a Nike design that retains the club’s classic black and blue stripes while introducing a striking deep yellow finish on the club’s badges and logos.

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According to Footy Headlines, who published exclusive images of the authentic version on April 25, more images of the shirt have since been leaked in collaboration with KamilBerberler.

The outlet also reported that the jersey was spotted on sale ahead of its official launch, with the inside collar carrying the inscription “Made of Milalo.”

Gold logos and zig-zag detailing mark Inter new Nike home shirt

The design largely lets the stripes do the talking, but there are subtle departures from tradition.

The black stripes are notably thicker than the blue, and the blue stripes feature a zig-zag pattern at both ends, a contemporary touch on an otherwise classic template.

The deep yellow used on the crests and Nike branding is described as sitting midway between yellow and orange, giving the shirt a warmer, more distinctive feel than a standard gold.

The Nike Inter Milan 2026/27 home shirt will reportedly be available to purchase from May 2026.

Romelu Lukaku’s agent, Federico Pastorello, confirms the Belgian striker will resume training with his Napoli teammates today, meeting with Antonio Conte: ‘The coach will decide what to do.’

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Lukaku returns to Napoli to meet Conte

Belgium international Lukaku has returned to Naples after spending over one month in Antwerp, Belgium, for individual training sessions to regain full fitness.

Lukaku refused to return to Naples during the international break in March, remaining in Belgium without the club’s consent.

He was, therefore, fined and frozen out of the team. He did return to Naples for just one day towards the end of April to meet club directors with his agent, Pastorello.

Lukaku and his representative did not sit down with Conte at the time, prompting the coach to publicly express his dissatisfaction.

“I know both [Lukaku and Conte] really well, and they both live football with great passion,” Pastorello told DAZN Belgium via TMW.

“That was not the right moment for a meeting, but they’ll do it today.”

Lukaku has now returned to Napoli’s training centre, his agent confirmed.

“Lukaku is back to Napoli, as expected, and he’ll resume training with the team now that he’s in better shape. Then the coach will decide what to do with Romelu,” Pastorello said.

Lukaku suffered a severe muscle injury at the beginning of the season, which forced him to the sidelines in the first part of the campaign.

The Belgian international, 32, has played only 64 minutes across all competitions this season, scoring one goal.

His contract at the Stadio Maradona runs out in June 2027.

Reports in Italy claim that Luka Modric returned to the Milan training centre this morning. Hence, the Rossoneri hope to see the Croat return to action for the last game of the season despite a recent cheekbone surgery.

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Modric’s season with Milan might not be over as Italian sources, including Sky Sport Italia and MilanNews, report that the 40-year-old returned to Milanello on Tuesday morning for the first time since suffering a cheekbone injury that required surgery two weeks ago.

Modric returns to Milanello for first time after surgery

It was expected that Modric would not play for Milan again this season, focusing his recovery on the World Cup with the Croatia national team.

However, according to MilanNews, his return to Milanello this morning suggests that the Real Madrid legend will push to be available for the season’s final game.

Milan have won only one of their last five league games and are still not certain to qualify for the Champions League, as their advantage over fifth-placed Roma has been reduced to three points.

Milan host Atalanta next weekend, then visit Genoa in Round 37 and play at home against Cagliari in the final round.

• Read more – Allegri’s doubt, Modric out: The possible consequences for Milan without Champions League

Gian Piero Gasperini is pushing Roma to secure contract renewals for four out-of-contract players this summer, including Paulo Dybala and Lorenzo Pellegrini, both of whom have been linked with Inter Milan, while Zeki Celik has also attracted interest from Liverpool.

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According to Sky Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the recent departures of Claudio Ranieri and sporting director Frederic Massara have actually brought the squad closer together, with Gasperini using that unity to press the club for a clean sweep of renewals.

Alongside Dybala, Pellegrini and Celik, winger Stephan El Shaarawy is also out of contract, with all four previously considered likely to leave at the end of the season.

Gasperini pushes Roma board to retain key quartet despite summer uncertainty

The situation has shifted, however, with Gasperini now understood to want all four players kept at the club.

His desire to retain them comes amid significant external interest, especially at zero cost.

Celik has been linked with both Inter and Liverpool, while Pellegrini has also been mentioned in connection with the Nerazzurri.

Dybala, meanwhile, has been repeatedly linked with a return to Argentina to join Boca Juniors.

Keeping hold of these players would be a significant mark of strength from Roma, especially as fans feel many still have something to give to the club.

Losing any of them, especially to a division rival like Inter, would be a huge blow, especially as

Growing reports in Italy suggest that Maurizio Sarri is Napoli’s top candidate to replace Antonio Conte in 2026-27.

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Will Sarri replace Conte at Napoli in 2026-27?

Italian transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà reports that Lazio coach Sarri is the leading candidate for the Napoli job next season if Conte leaves.

The Partenopei boss is under contract at the Stadio Maradona, but his future at the club will be determined in the coming weeks, with a meeting expected between the Italian tactician and the Napoli management, including President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Pedullà writes on X that “confirmations are coming from all sides” that Sarri is Napoli’s “top name” for next season if the club and Conte decide to part ways.

Sarri returned to Lazio last summer but has had a troubled season at the Stadio Olimpico, mostly due to a summer transfer embargo that prevented the Biancocelesti from making new signings for the first part of the campaign.

Sarri, 67, already spent three seasons at Napoli, from 2015 to 2018.

He won 98 of 148 games in charge of the Partenopei, failing to win the Scudetto in his final season at the club despite collecting 91 points.

Inter legend Beppe Bergomi insists Milan, Juventus and Napoli can’t settle for a mere top-four finish next season and warns Barcelona about Alessandro Bastoni’s price tag: ‘He has great value…’

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Inter and Italy legend Bergomi examined the Nerazzurri’s title-winning campaign in an interview with Repubblica, where he also discussed the improvements that Cristian Chivu’s team will need for 2026-27.

Chivu has won the Scudetto in his first full Serie A season as a coach, and Bergomi had no doubts about the former defender’s quality in the dugout.

“I knew he’d do well. Roberto Samaden, who had long been in charge of the youth sector, told me that Cristian could win his players’ hearts, and he did,” he said.

Bergomi went on to name the key Inter player this term.

“Lautaro. He’s the top scorer despite playing fewer games than in the past,” he said.

“He has amazing quality and leadership skills. Zielinski and Dimarco are just one step behind.”

Bergomi feels the Nerazzurri’s target for next season is already set, but he also sent a warning to the other contenders.

“Win the league again, and it is not only true for Inter,” he claimed.

“Milan, Napoli and Juve can’t just say ‘we aim for a Champions League spot.’ It’s not fair towards the fans. The Champions League is an opportunity, but it is complex. With the new formula, if you don’t finish [the league phase] in the top eight, it gets very tough.”

According to recent reports, the Nerazzurri will have a minimum budget of €40-50m to strengthen the team, a sum that could be increased through some sales.

“I’d like a physically strong central midfielder, like Koné, Rabiot or Khephren Thuram, and a dribbler, like Nico Paz,” Bergomi said.

“It will be hard to sign him from Real Madrid, but that’s the type of player [Inter need].

“Inter have been without Calhanoglu, Dumfries, and Lautaro for many games,” continued the ex-defender.

“Bastoni too. In addition to injuries, he was subjected to unjustified public shaming. He made a mistake, but he took responsibility for it.”

Inter President Marotta has already confirmed Barcelona’s interest in Bastoni. Should the Serie A champions really sell the Italian centre-back?

“It depends on the offers,” concluded Bergomi.

“He has great value; you can’t just sell him off cheaply. I see him doing well in Spain and in the Premier League.”

Jamie Carragher has ruled out Antonio Conte as a candidate to become the next Chelsea manager while identifying Como head coach Cesc Fabregas as one of the most exciting emerging coaches in football, as the Blues search for a permanent successor to interim manager Callum McFarlane.

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According to comments made on Sky Sports, via the Standard, Carragher was unequivocal about several names on the shortlist.

“You can probably rule out the bottom three, Mourinho, Lampard and Conte,” he said. “They’ve all managed Chelsea before, so I don’t see that. Fabregas does look like right now one of the new hot things in football, doing really well. Filipe Luis is doing really well, obviously had a spell at Chelsea as a player.”

Carragher says Chelsea is ‘broken’ as Como boss Fabregas emerges amongst leading candidates

Carragher reserved particular praise for Andoni Iraola before returning to the broader problem facing any incoming manager, a club he believes has been fundamentally damaged by its ownership.

“It’s shocking, and it comes from the top,” he said. “There are five or six really top players on that pitch and they’ve just been beaten by Nottingham Forest’s B team. Less than 12 months ago they were taking PSG to the cleaners. This football club is broken.”

On the challenge of attracting players, he added: “If I were a young player, why would I sign for Chelsea? They’d give me 12 months and if I wasn’t amazing, they’d buy another player in my place. How do you build a connection between players, fans and staff? It’s not there.”

The context makes Fabregas’s candidacy all the more intriguing. The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder has impressed enormously in his first adventure as a top-flight manager, guiding Como to the brink of European qualification.

His connection to Chelsea, where he spent two seasons as a player, adds another layer to what would be a compelling appointment, and Carragher’s endorsement will only strengthen his standing as a frontrunner.

Juventus risk losing some of their most prized assets this summer if they fail to secure Champions League qualification, with Real Madrid among the clubs monitoring Kenan Yildiz and Premier League sides keeping tabs on Francisco Conceicao.

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According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, the weekend’s home draw against already-relegated Verona has intensified the pressure on Juventus, leaving the club in a precarious position in the race for a top-four finish. The consequences of missing out would stretch well beyond the dugout.

Yildiz, Conceicao and Bremer all at risk without Champions League football for Juventus

Yildiz is understood to be a long-standing target of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, and while the young Turkish forward is devoted to the Juventus cause, the club’s ability to retain him would be significantly weakened without European football to offer.

Conceicao has also attracted sustained Premier League interest, and Gleison Bremer, who publicly apologised for his error in the Verona draw, has similarly not fallen off the radar of top clubs.

Dusan Vlahovic’s situation adds another layer of complexity.

His contract talks remain unresolved, and without Champions League football, the Serbian would likely be far more receptive to approaches from clubs already guaranteed a place in Europe’s elite competition next season.

Manchester United are planning to strengthen their midfield this summer, and several Serie A stars, as well as Italy international Sandro Tonali, have been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

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Manchester United’s targets in Serie A

UK media outlets (via Manchester Evening News) are reporting that Manchester United are ready to invest £150m (circa €173m) in new signings this summer, with a specific aim on central midfield.

Italian transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà has claimed that both the Red Devils and Atletico Madrid are interested in Atalanta midfielder Ederson, with the Colchoneros seemingly slightly ahead in the race, having already offered €30m plus add-ons.

Atalanta, however, aim to get at least €40m from the Brazilian’s sale in the summer, so the race to secure his signature remains wide open.

Italy and Newcastle midfielder Tonali has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but other top Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City, are also considering a move for the ex-Milan star.

Last month, Tuttosport reported that even Juventus midfielder Teun Koopmeiners had attracted interest from both the Red Devils and Galatasaray.

Manchester United are also looking for attacking reinforcements with Milan stars Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic both reported to be on their agenda.

United reportedly scouted Leao during a 0-0 draw against Juventus two weeks ago, and Gazzetta reported last week that the Premier League giants are eager to offer Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee or Marcus Rashford in a potential player-plus cash swap deal.

According to Calciomercato.it is understood that Manchester United are also attracted to Pulisic’s versatility, but are aware that Milan won’t sell the USMNT captain for less than €60m.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter owners have already made €40-50m available for the summer transfer window, but the budget would increase with the sale of some players, especially Alessandro Bastoni.

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Inter are already preparing to strengthen their team for 2026-27 after winning their 21st Scudetto this season.

Gazzetta reports that club owners Oaktree have already informed directors about their transfer budget for the summer, which will be between €40m and €50m.

The Serie A champions are expected to make significant changes, especially in defence, with Yann Sommer, Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi and Stefan De Vrij leaving at the end of their contracts in June.

• Read more – Chivu’s quiet Inter transformation: From Champions League Final disaster to title glory

Inter’s 2026 summer targets revealed

The Nerazzurri have already been linked with Liverpool centre-back Giovanni Leoni, who played under Cristian Chivu at Parma last season.

Inter’s strategy in defence will largely depend on whether Bastoni stays beyond the summer.

President Beppe Marotta has confirmed Barcelona’s interest in the Italian centre-back, yet the Nerazzurri have received no formal proposal.

Sassuolo centre-back Tarik Muharemovic has already reached an agreement with the Nerazzurri, but club-to-club talks are still not at an advanced stage.

Experienced midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is also expected to leave at the end of his contract in June, and according to Gazzetta, Curtis Jones is another Liverpool player targeted by the Nerazzurri.

Tottenham’s Guglielmo Vicario has been identified as the priority to replace Yann Sommer.

According to Gazzetta, Inter and Chivu could even decide to reshape the team, making suitable signings to a four-man defence.

In this scenario, Atalanta-owned Marco Palestra is a primary target, as the Italian can play either as a full-back or an attacking winger.

As reported by Corriere dello Sport, Inter still hope to sign Nico Paz from Real Madrid next summer, as the Argentine is expected to return to the Bernabeu from Como at the end of the current campaign.

Italy international Riccardo Calafiori is not expected to start for Arsenal in the Champions League semifinal second leg against Atletico Madrid tonight, as Mikel Arteta ‘could be tempted by the added security of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.’

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Arteta to drop Calafiori for Arsenal vs. Atletico Madrid?

Calafiori’s Arsenal host Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semifinals at the Emirates Stadium in London tonight.

The first leg played in Madrid last week ended in a 1-1 draw.

Calafiori returned to action after nearly a month last weekend, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3-0 win over Fulham.

The Italian defender is eligible for tonight’s fixture, and even though Standard.co.uk admits the ex-Roma and Bologna defender ‘looked sharp’ in his latest outing, Arteta ‘could be tempted by the added security of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.’

Calafiori has scored one goal and provided three assists in 32 appearances across all competitions with Arsenal this term.

He is in his second season at the Emirates Stadium, where his contract expires in June 2029.

Milan risk missing out on Champions League qualification, and Gazzetta warns that failing to secure a top-four finish will have consequences, including the departure of Luka Modric.

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Milan have won only one of their last five Serie A games, allowing fifth-placed Roma to move just three points behind them in the standings with three games remaining.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that missing out on a Champions League placement would have significant consequences for Milan, not only in terms of appeal and finances.

To start with, Croatian star Modric would almost certainly leave San Siro at the end of the season if Milan don’t finish in the top four.

Modric’s contract expires in June, and Milan will activate their option to extend until 2027 only if the 40-year-old agrees to stay.

Sky Sport previously reported that Modric would stay at Milan only in case of Champions League qualification and if Massimiliano Allegri stays for one more season.

The Italian tactician’s future at San Siro would also be uncertain without a top-four finish.

His contract expires in June 2027 and will automatically be extended to 2028 with Champions League qualification.

However, failing to reach the season’s main target might convince the coach to leave the Rossoneri, especially with the Italy national team job available.