Benjamin Pavard’s loan spell at Marseille is set to end without a permanent transfer, with RMC Sport reporting that the French club have decided against triggering their purchase option for the World Cup winner.

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The Frenchman returned to his home country last summer on loan from Inter with considerable fanfare, expected to bring experience, leadership and defensive reliability to a Marseille side with genuine ambitions.

Instead, his campaign has fallen well short of expectations on multiple fronts.

According to reports from France, via FCInter1908, Pavard has failed to meet the standards demanded of him in terms of both performance and attitude, becoming, in the eyes of many supporters, a symbol of the club’s broader frustrations this season.

Marseille rule out permanent move for Inter owned Pavard

The situation has deteriorated to the point where Marseille have apparently ruled out a permanent move even at a reduced fee, despite having the option to negotiate a lower buyout figure with Inter.

The final decision may ultimately rest with incoming leadership at the club, but the current direction of travel leaves little room for doubt.

Pavard will therefore return to Inter at the end of the season, where his future will need to be resolved.

With the Nerazzurri already planning a significant summer overhaul, including changes in defence following the expected departures of several out-of-contract players, where Pavard fits into Cristian Chivu’s plans, if at all, remains an open question.

Another loan move looks the most likely outcome, though finding a club willing to take on a player whose stock has fallen considerably during his time in Ligue 1 may prove more difficult than anticipated.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery and defender Matty Cash faced the media on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Renato Dall’Ara, with both manager and player showing considerable respect for a Bologna side they have faced before, and know better than to underestimate.

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Emery arrived in Bologna with his squad boosted by the returns of John McGinn and Youri Tielemans from injury, providing additional options for a tie the Spaniard described as one of the most difficult Villa could face at this stage of the competition.

The extended break following the international window has been used productively, though Emery acknowledged the challenge of resetting players mentally after time away with their national teams.

Jadon Sancho remains sidelined and will not feature, with the manager hopeful of his return within a fortnight.

Bologna vs Aston Villa – Emery: ‘Bologna aggressive, great respect for them’

On Bologna themselves, the Aston Villa coach’s admiration was genuine and detailed.

“They beat Roma and Vincenzo Italiano has played three finals in the last three years,” he said, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“He is very good in knockout matches, he reached two European finals with Fiorentina and won the Coppa Italia. I have great respect for Bologna and I know very well what the difficulties will be.”

He also credited the continuity of the club’s footballing identity, noting that quality football has been a constant at the Dall’Ara from the Thiago Motta era through to the present day.

On the tactical challenge of facing Bologna’s aggressive man-marking system, Emery was pragmatic.

“In Italy many teams play this way, Atalanta were among the first,” he said. “It will be very important for us to adapt to their aggression while maintaining our own style. The qualification chances are 50-50. We must be resilient when they press us and patient when we don’t have the ball.”

Cash, speaking separately, offered a more concise but equally respectful assessment. The Polish international noted his personal connection to the opposition, having spoken with his compatriot Skorupski despite the goalkeeper’s injury absence.

“They are an excellent team, after we beat them they did not lose again,” Cash said, via TMW. “So it will not be easy.”

His message for the tie itself was straightforward. “There are 180 minutes and anything can happen. Our objective is to win and put ourselves in an advantageous position for the second leg.”

Paolo Vanoli held his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg at Selhurst Park, and the Fiorentina head coach was candid on multiple fronts, confirming Moise Kean’s fitness setback, acknowledging Crystal Palace’s status as favourites, and expressing his pride at the scale of the occasion despite a lengthy injury list.

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Kean has been nursing a long-standing shin problem, and Vanoli confirmed the striker was unable to train on Wednesday after reporting pain in the affected area.

“Moise has been carrying this shin issue for a very long time,” he said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“After yesterday’s training he felt pain and today he was not able to make it.”

The news is a blow for a Fiorentina side already managing several absences ahead of what Vanoli himself described as one of the most demanding spells of the season.

On the injury situation more broadly, Vanoli pushed back against any narrative of crisis.

“I would have liked to arrive here with a full squad because against opponents like this I need everyone,” he said. “But the word ’emergency’ is not in my DNA. It must be an opportunity for those who have played less and for the younger players. If we play as a team we will achieve great results.”

Vanoli has done his homework on Crystal Palace and their manager Oliver Glasner, whom he has followed closely for some time. “Glasner has already proven himself in Europe, his team is organised and you can see his footballing ideas trace back to his days at Salzburg,” he said.

“Now he is managing in the Premier League, the strongest league in the world. I experienced it personally with Chelsea. This must be a source of pride for us after the whole season we have had.”

Crystal Palace vs Fiorentina – Vanoli: ‘They are favourites, we must play with character’

He was equally respectful of the venue itself, describing Selhurst Park as an intimate, atmospheric ground where Palace have built their successes, with 25,000 supporters packed tightly around the pitch.

Asked directly whether he considers Palace favourites, Vanoli did not hesitate.

“Yes, I think so, they are coming off an FA Cup victory.” But he was equally clear that Fiorentina belong on the same stage. “We must play with personality and lucidity. It is a beautiful test and we will measure our growth as a team.”

He also offered an encouraging update on Albert Gudmundsson, noting the Icelandic forward’s growing defensive discipline and competitive reaction to his own mistakes at Verona.

“These reactions are small but important details,” Vanoli said. “We are all growing.”

With the second leg to follow in Florence, Vanoli’s message was clear, the tie is far from over before it has even begun, and Fiorentina intend to make their mark on the European stage.

Weston McKennie has reflected on a remarkable personal journey that has taken him from being cast aside at Juventus to becoming one of Luciano Spalletti’s most trusted and indispensable midfielders, and with a home World Cup on the horizon with the United States, life could hardly look more different from the darkest moments of his career.

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The American, who recently signed a contract renewal at Juventus after establishing himself as a key figure under Spalletti, spoke candidly to Goal about self-doubt, humility and the importance of staying grounded despite achieving things he once considered impossible.

His honesty about the fragility of his early career is striking for a player now operating at the very highest level.

“When I was in the USA youth teams I never would have thought something like this could happen to me,” McKennie said, with quotes via CalcioMercato.

“As a child you get discouraged easily, and every time I was left out of the squad I thought there was no way I could ever make it. I would go back to Dallas, to my family and to FC Dallas, and there they relaunched me, believing in me day after day. That pushed me to improve more and more, to push beyond what I thought was possible. I am grateful for the journey I have taken to get here, I never would have imagined reaching this level.”

McKennie: ‘I’m a human being like everyone else’

That journey has not only shaped him as a footballer but as a public figure, one acutely conscious of the responsibility that comes with being a role model for young American players trying to follow a similar path.

“It is an extraordinary feeling but also a responsibility,” he said. “Back then social media was not so common and my role models were people I saw on TV or in magazines. Today there is much more responsibility.”

What McKennie is most eager for people to take from his story, however, is something more personal than the goals and assists. “I am a good footballer, but above all I am a human being like everyone else,” he said.

“I try to always be faithful to my values and my roots. I wish people saw me as humble, you need to remain humble and follow your dream, finding your own path.”

Away from football, McKennie painted a picture of a man who values simplicity above all else. Barbecues with family, a drink with friends, time with his dogs, the kind of ordinary pleasures that keep him anchored to who he was before the fame.

“I like to enjoy life to the fullest,” he said. “The last six to eight months have been pretty positive, in family life, with friends, and with my dogs.”

Danilo has opened up on one of the most emotional moments of his career, the day his closest friend and long-time teammate Alex Sandro left Juventus, in a heartfelt documentary produced by Flamengo TV ahead of the new Copa Libertadores campaign.

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The Brazilian defender spent several years alongside Alex Sandro at the Turin club, having previously shared dressing rooms at Santos and Porto.

Their bond, forged across three different countries and multiple trophy wins, runs far deeper than football, and Danilo’s words made that abundantly clear.

Danilo reflects on Alex Sandro bond & Juventus exit

“When Alex left Juventus it made me cry on the pitch, because we had fought so many battles together,” Danilo said, with quotes via the Corriere dello Sport.

“When he left I didn’t think it would be that difficult. It was then that I truly felt his absence. Understanding how much we have supported each other during our careers and in difficult moments is something that makes me very satisfied, because it has extended to our personal lives and our families.”

Alex Sandro, speaking in the same documentary, was equally emotional in his tribute to a friendship he describes as lifelong. “We talk every day and share feelings that few people can imagine,” he said.

“For me he has always been a mirror, someone I have always admired enormously. Our story as brothers, friends and teammates will last a lifetime, it won’t end here at Flamengo.”

The two are now reunited once more at the Rio club, with Danilo having returned to Flamengo, the club where he grew up, after his time in Europe. He admitted that winning the Libertadores last season and scoring in the final against Palmeiras would have been the perfect moment to retire at 34, adding that only the unfulfilled dream of a World Cup with Brazil kept him going.

On that front, Danilo had warm words for Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti, whose path has crossed his own in unexpected ways. “When I was at Porto and moved to Real Madrid, it was practically Ancelotti who bought me, and then when I arrived, he had already been sacked,” he said with a smile. “The game is like that. But we found each other again more than ten years later in the national team. It is an enormous privilege to work with him.”

Antonio Conte’s candid declaration of interest in the Italy job following Sunday’s Napoli-Milan match has set in motion a fascinating chain of events that could reshape the managerial landscape across Serie A this summer.

Conte was clear on Sunday evening that he would need to speak with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis before any decision could be made, given that he still has a year remaining on his contract at the club.

The acknowledgement that he has put himself forward for the national team role makes it difficult to envision him continuing at Napoli beyond this season, though in football, stranger things have happened.

What has emerged in the wake of Conte’s comments is that Napoli had already been quietly exploring their options.

De Zerbi & Italiano among Napoli targets as Conte open to Italy

According to Alfredo Pedulla, the club held conversations with Roberto De Zerbi about a potential move to the Maradona, only for Tottenham to move faster and secure the Brighton manager for themselves.

It is a significant revelation that suggests De Laurentiis had already begun contingency planning well before Conte made his position public.

Vincenzo Italiano remains a name high on Napoli’s list, a long-standing target of De Laurentiis, while Gian Piero Gasperini, despite recent signs of tension at Roma, is tied to the capital club for another two years, making any move complicated.

At Roma, the suggestion that Gasperini could be vulnerable raises wider questions about the club’s direction.

As Pedulla’s report pointedly notes, Roma cannot continue to treat the manager as the primary problem when the issues clearly run deeper, particularly around transfer market strategy and internal alignment, concerns that have been present since at least December.

Massimiliano Allegri, meanwhile, continues to be mentioned as a potential Italy candidate despite recent denials, a situation that could become clearer once Milan’s season reaches its conclusion.