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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.