Mehdi Benatia has expressed his surprise at the limited game time Neil El Aynaoui has been afforded at Roma, while revealing he tried to bring the midfielder to Marseille before the Giallorossi stepped in.

The former Roma defender, who is now sporting director at Olympique Marseille, was speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport in a wide-ranging interview that touched on Italian football and his old club.

He reserved warm words for his compatriot.

“He’s very strong because he combines quality and quantity,” Benatia said of El Aynaoui, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“I didn’t understand why he played less at Roma than I would have expected. I had tried to sign him for my Marseille, but he cost too much.”

The Morocco international still featured regularly in the Italian capital this season, racking up 34 appearances and contributing two goals and two assists across the campaign.

Former Roma man Benatia delivers heartfelt verdict on Italy’s World Cup absence

Benatia, who spent several years in Serie A, also turned to a subject close to him: Italy’s failure to reach the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s a huge loss, Italy is in my heart, it gave me everything,” he said.

“Unfortunately the reality is that the best Italian attackers are inferior to the reserves in France’s attacking department. I really hope Italy can turn things around quickly.”

It is a sobering assessment from a man who made his name in Italian football, and one that speaks to the wider soul-searching gripping the Azzurri as they sit out a major tournament once again.

Barcelona have re-emerged as suitors for Dusan Vlahovic, in a development that could complicate Juventus’ summer planning.

According to Mundo Deportivo, via TuttoMercatoWeb, the Catalan club are hunting a new centre-forward for Hansi Flick’s squad and are keeping tabs on several high-profile names.

Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez remains the priority for sporting director Deco, but with no agreement reached for the Argentine, Vlahovic has resurfaced as an appealing Plan B.

The Serbian’s contract is set to expire within days, opening the door to a free transfer that would represent a far more economical solution for Barcelona than a deal for Alvarez.

Barcelona not alone in pursuit of Juventus forward Vlahovic

Vlahovic offers a different profile to Alvarez, more of a penalty-box striker and less involved in build-up play, but his availability on a free makes him a tempting opportunity.

The sticking point, the Spanish outlet notes, is his salary: the former Fiorentina man is reportedly seeking around €8 million net per season, plus a signing bonus of €15 million.

Barcelona are not alone in monitoring his situation, with Bayern Munich also keen and Atletico themselves an option should Alvarez depart.

New Juventus CEO Giovanni Carnevali, meanwhile, is keen to convince Vlahovic to reconsider and stay in Turin.

Adding a further twist, Barcelona are also tracking Alexander Sorloth as a possible post-Lewandowski signing, a striker on his way out of Atletico whom Juventus themselves have been eyeing as a replacement for Vlahovic.

The knockout phase of the 2026 World Cup gets under way with co-hosts Canada vs South Africa in the Round of 32, with Juventus striker Jonathan David leading the line for Jesse Marsch’s side in Los Angeles.

David arrives at this tie in red-hot form, his hat-trick against Qatar in the group stage having dragged Canada into the last 32 and answered the critics who questioned a quiet debut season in Turin.

He spearheads the attack alongside Tani Oluwaseyi and Tajon Buchanan, the latter a former Inter player who won the Serie A title with the Nerazzurri in 2023/24 before moving on to Villarreal.

South Africa vs Canada – Lineups

South Africa XI: Williams; Modiba, Mbokazi, Mudau, Okon; Mokoena, Sithole; Appollis, Mofokeng, Maseko; Makgopa.

Canada XI: Crépeau; Johnston, Cornelius, Bombito, Laryea; Eustáquio, Millar, Saliba; Oluwaseyi, David, Buchanan.

Como are pressing ahead in their pursuit of Mattia Liberali, with the former Milan youth product among the more intriguing names on the summer market.

The attacking midfielder left the Rossoneri last summer in a permanent move to Catanzaro, and quickly justified the switch with an impressive debut campaign in Serie B.

He came into his own in the second half of the season, helping fire the Calabrian side to within touching distance of promotion through the play-offs, form that placed him firmly on the radar of several top-flight clubs.

Como ahead of Sassuolo, Fiorentina and Torino in Liberali pursuit

Fiorentina, Alberto Aquilani’s Sassuolo and Ignazio Abate’s Torino have all shown interest in recent days, but according to Gianluca Di Marzio, via MilanNews.it, it is Como who appear to be making the most serious move.

The Lombardy club are reportedly keen to bring in the youngster even if Nico Paz stays put on the shores of Lake Como.

Liberali is available for a release clause of around €6 million, with Milan retaining a 50% sell-on clause, meaning the Rossoneri stand to bank a healthy slice of any deal that goes through.

Edon Zhegrova could be on his way out of Juventus this summer, with Fiorentina reportedly emerging as a potential destination for the winger.

The Kosovo international, who holds Albanian citizenship, arrived in Turin from Lille last year with high hopes but struggled to make the desired impact in his first season in Italy.

According to La Nazione, via CalcioMercato.it, his departure now looks increasingly likely.

Fiorentina ready to make their move after difficult first year at Juventus for Zhegrova

The Viola are said to be monitoring the 27-year-old closely and could soon table a first official offer to the Old Lady.

Zhegrova cost the Bianconeri in the region of €15 million and is tied to a contract until 2030 worth €2.5 million net per season, terms that are reportedly well within Fiorentina’s reach.

That financial picture is central to the move’s feasibility, with the report suggesting Fiorentina are prepared to press ahead and test the Bianconeri resolve in the coming days.

For Juventus, offloading a player who failed to settle would represent a chance to reshape their attacking options, while Fiorentina would be gambling on reviving a talent who shone in Ligue 1 before his move to Serie A.

Liverpool great Robbie Fowler has thrown AC Milan forward Christian Pulisic into the conversation as a possible Anfield arrival, suggesting the American could fill the void left by Mohamed Salah.

With Liverpool weighing up their forward options this summer, Fowler took to X to make the case for a player who has rebuilt his reputation in Serie A since arriving at San Siro.

Pulisic revival at Milan turning heads as Fowler backs American for Liverpool

Pulisic has been one of Milan’s most reliable attacking outlets in recent seasons, his form a marked contrast to the stop-start years that closed out his time in the Premier League with Chelsea.

Fowler clearly sees a player ready to thrive back in England.

“Plenty of rumours about as to who’s going to @LFC, one name I’ve not seen mentioned is pulisic… good age, played in the prem, exciting player, I’d take him, potentially a Salah type of pathway, thoughts?” he wrote.

Plenty of rumours about as to who’s going to @LFC , one name I’ve not seen mentioned is pulisic… good age , played in the prem, exciting player , I’d take him, potentially a Salah type of pathway, thoughts?

— Robbie Fowler (@Robbie9Fowler) June 26, 2026

Whether Liverpool share his enthusiasm remains to be seen, with the USA captain currently in the spotlight on home soil at the World Cup.

Images claiming to show Inter’s away kit for the 2026/27 season have surfaced online, courtesy of Footy Headlines.

The leaked design features a predominantly white shirt, decorated with thin vertical pinstripes in bright blue, whilst navy trim frames the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, lending the strip a cleaner, more classic feel.

The Nike swoosh, betsson.sport sponsor and the Nerazzurri’s two-starred crest all appear in matching navy, sitting neatly against the pinstriped backdrop.

The look is completed by white shorts carrying the same fine blue striping.

Inter 26/27 away kit leaks online

As ever with pre-release leaks, the images are unofficial and yet to be confirmed by the club itself or Nike, so colours and detailing could change before any launch.

Still, it offers supporters an early glimpse of what the Nerazzurri may wear on their travels next term, and a nod to a vintage, pinstriped aesthetic.

𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝟐𝟔-𝟐𝟕 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙆𝙞𝙩 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙙 – 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨

Opaleak provides us with official images of the Nike Inter Milan 26-27 Away Kit. It boasts a baseball style with a huge Inter monogram crest. pic.twitter.com/RXKl69nwI6

— Footy Headlines (@Footy_Headlines) June 28, 2026

Matthijs de Ligt has looked back on his time at Juventus as a defining chapter in his career, crediting Giorgio Chiellini with helping him settle into one of European football’s most demanding dressing rooms.

The Netherlands defender, now at Manchester United, joined the Bianconeri from Ajax in 2019 as one of the most coveted young centre-backs in the game, spending three seasons in Turin.

Speaking to Manchester United’s media, he reflected on the culture shock of arriving among a squad of serial winners, and the veteran captain who eased his path.

“Chiellini was really very helpful to me at the start,” De Ligt said. “When I arrived at Juventus he tried in every way to help me settle in and become the best player possible.”

The adjustment, he admitted, was anything but straightforward.

“It was difficult at the start because you walk into a dressing room where these players have won everything,” he explained.

“But it’s important to stay yourself and show yourself for who you are. At a certain point I understood that they were normal people and that we were there for the same goal. What did I learn in Italy? A lot, in every league I learned something.”

De Ligt on sharing a dressing room with a childhood idol at Juventus

His spell in Turin also brought a full-circle moment, reuniting De Ligt with the player he had idolised as a boy: Cristiano Ronaldo, his team-mate at Juventus.

“I think I was about 7 or 8 when Manchester United won the Champions League,” he recalled.

“At that time he was, obviously, one of the most important players in the world. He had this style that everyone wanted to copy. So yes, he was probably one of my first idols.”

He has since shared a pitch with another early reference point, former Ajax man Christian Eriksen.

“In the youth teams I also played in midfield and he played exactly in my position,” De Ligt said. “So at that time he was really the example of one of the players I admired most.”

He added: “It’s curious that in the end I really did play with him, just as with Cristiano. He was one of my biggest idols when I was younger.”

Inter are moving to secure the long-term future of Pio Esposito, with transfer journalist Alfredo Pedulla reporting the Nerazzurri are ready to commit firmly to the striker who turns 21 today.

It caps a breakout campaign for the forward, who returned from a prolific loan at Spezia to score seven Serie A goals and play his part in Inter’s domestic double.

He also broke into the senior Italy setup, scoring against Greece in a recent friendly, a rare bright spot for an Azzurri side that missed this summer’s World Cup.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pedulla first moved to clarify the timeline of past interest from abroad.

“There’s a lot of talk about Pio Esposito’s renewal. People are also talking about English clubs who courted him, but that’s old news, it dates back to January 2025,” he said.

“When I told you about a situation involving both Manchester United and Leicester, that was back in those days, even before he stayed at Inter.”

Pedulla: Foreign interest in Pio Esposito traced to Spezia spell

Pedulla explained that Esposito’s form in Serie B had drawn close attention from one Premier League heavyweight in particular.

“Pio was watched in every game at Spezia by United,” he added.

“Napoli also thought about him last summer. They were ready to put down incredible figures for the fee and the wages.”

On the deal itself, Pedulla offered specifics: “I think he’ll sign a five-year contract worth 3.5 to 4 million per season, plus four million as a fixed component, with bonuses.”

Per Mertesacker has delivered a blunt verdict on Italy’s modern decline, telling German broadcaster ZDF that the four-time world champions no longer warrant discussion at a tournament they have again failed to reach.

The former Arsenal and Germany defender appeared alongside ex-Germany international Christoph Kramer on Friday evening, where the presenter raised the question of the Azzurri’s absence from the 2026 World Cup; the third successive edition Italy have missed.

“We’ve never talked, during these weeks, about what a shame it is that Italy aren’t taking part,” she put to the pair, with quotes via CalcioMercato.com.

Kramer replied: “No!” Mertesacker went further: “Absolutely not! They don’t deserve to be talked about.”

World Cup winners reflect on an Italy side transformed in two decades

The conversation then turned to how far the national team has fallen since its last sustained period of success.

“How that team has changed!” Mertesacker said. “Twenty years ago, when we lost to them in the 2006 World Cup semi-final, they were a world-class side.”

Kramer added: “There’s no need to even talk about it.”

Mertesacker continued: “Twenty years on, you have to search long and hard to find an exceptional player.”

For all the criticism, Kramer was keen to stress his affection for the country, pointing to Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020 as evidence the talent has not vanished entirely.

“I’m a big fan of Italy. I also have many Italian friends and I’m always happy when they’re here,” he said.

“They had a golden period, they won the Euros, which people tend to forget. But there are many children who don’t know that they can play at a World Cup.”

Inter have entered the race for John Stones, with the England international available on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City and understood to have attracted interest from both Everton and Italian clubs including Inter and Napoli.

According to German outlet BILD, FCInter1908, the defender’s availability as a free agent is significant for Inter, who are in urgent need of defensive reinforcements following the exits of Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij.

The club have been pursuing multiple centre-back targets this summer, with the Oumar Solet trail having cooled in recent weeks – making him an attractive cost-free alternative of considerable Premier League and international pedigree.

Inter open to signing England veteran Stones

At 32, Stones brings Champions League experience and a decade of top-level football to any interested party, though questions about his fitness record, he has missed significant periods through injury in recent seasons, will feature in any club’s assessment.

For Inter, the combination of quality and zero transfer fee makes the enquiry entirely logical, but for now, the player remains committed to England at the World Cup.

Milan are resisting a significant approach from New York City FC for Christian Pulisic, with the MLS club understood to have tabled a five-year offer worth $10 million per season for the American international, a proposal Milan have no intention of accepting.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Milan consider Pulisic indispensable both on the pitch and from a commercial perspective, with the club’s American ownership particularly keen to retain a player with a strong profile in the United States market.

No contract extension talks have yet taken place, but Milan’s position on any sale is clear.

Milan pursue Goncalo Ramos deal as Gimenez saga draws on

Elsewhere, Milan have submitted their first formal offer to PSG for Goncalo Ramos, with Jorge Mendes facilitating discussions on both the player’s personal terms and the club-to-club negotiations.

PSG’s initial asking price is understood to be around €50 million. Ramos is Amorim’s preferred striker, with the pair’s shared Portuguese background considered an additional advantage.

Ruben Amorim also held a first phone call with Rafael Leao, a cordial conversation described as introductory in nature, though the Portuguese winger remains expected to leave this summer.

And Porto’s reported interest in Santiago Gimenez has been clarified, Gimenez himself has asked all potential suitors to pause discussions while he focuses on the World Cup with Mexico.

The man who first brought Marco Palestra to Cagliari has revealed that Chelsea’s interest in the young right-back was no last-minute intervention, the Premier League club had been tracking the player for an entire year before finally moving to complete the signing ahead of Inter.

Guido Angelozzi, the former Cagliari sporting director who took a chance on Palestra last summer, made the disclosure to Corriere dello Sport, confirming what had long been suspected, that Chelsea were operating in the background throughout Inter’s protracted pursuit of the Atalanta defender, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Chelsea finally get their man as Inter miss our on Palestra

The revelation adds important context to why the deal ultimately swung Chelsea’s way.

Inter had agreed personal terms with Palestra and reached a broad understanding with Atalanta over a fee in the region of €50 million, but the player ultimately chose the Premier League, a decision that now appears to have been shaped by a longer-standing Chelsea relationship than had previously been understood.

Kevin De Bruyne’s future at Napoli will be decided after the World Cup, with the Belgian having made clear he wants to sit down with incoming coach Massimiliano Allegri before making any decision, and with Allegri understood to consider De Bruyne a valuable asset he has no intention of losing.

According to Corriere dello Sport, via IlNapolista, there are significant grounds for optimism that De Bruyne will remain in Naples for a second season.

The club has no desire to force his exit, Allegri wants to keep him, and De Bruyne himself wants to understand the new project before committing. All three parties are pointing in the same direction, but the formal conversation must come first.

De Bruyne’s injury-hit debut season puts Napoli contract decision on hold until World Cup concludes

De Bruyne‘s opening campaign at Napoli was heavily compromised by a serious hamstring injury that limited his involvement and prevented supporters from seeing him at his best.

That context has shaped the club’s patient approach, there is no urgency to resolve his situation before both parties have had the chance to speak properly and assess what the next chapter could look like under Allegri’s management.

The Belgian is currently in the United States with a Belgium side that has underwhelmed at the tournament so far.

Once his World Cup adventure concludes, the meeting with Allegri will take place, and that conversation, the paper suggests, is likely to be decisive in confirming what both club and player appear to want: a continuation.

Mason Greenwood has made his choice, he wants Roma and despite extraordinary financial offers from Fenerbahce and Al-Hilal, the Englishman has consistently indicated to Gasperini and Ryan Friedkin that the Giallorossi project is his priority. But his patience has a limit, and time is now Roma’s most dangerous opponent.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Greenwood wants to begin pre-season training with his new club, meaning the situation must be resolved within the first ten days of July.

Roma are preparing an offer of €45-50 million, potentially structured as a staged payment to accommodate Marseille’s June 30 financial deadline while meeting the French club’s core demand of €55 million, complicated further by the obligation to forward 40% of any fee to Manchester United.

Fenerbahce offer €12m per season and Al-Hilal table extraordinary package as Roma race the clock for Greenwood

The competition is intensifying rapidly, according to Tuttosport.

Fenerbahce have reportedly gone all in with a proposal of €12 million per season in base salary plus an extensive bonus structure tied to goals, assists, Champions League qualification and trophies.

Their €35 million bid for the transfer fee, however, was rejected by Marseille as insufficient. Al-Hilal are prepared to go even further, with figures described as almost beyond market value for both club and player.

Yet Greenwood remains unmoved by the financial allure of Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

At 24 and at his peak, he wants European football at the highest level, a platform that could even revive his England prospects. Gasperini’s system, which would place him at the absolute centre of a Champions League project, offers precisely that.

Juventus are pursuing a twin-track defensive recruitment strategy this summer, with Giovanni Carnevali weighing a move for former Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemovic alongside the club’s primary target Jhon Lucumi, and holding a significant structural advantage in the Muharemovic pursuit that could make it the more financially attractive of the two operations.

Juventus retain 50% of any future Muharemovic sale from their time developing the Bosnian at the Next Gen side, a clause that forced Sassuolo to inflate their asking price when Inter explored a deal earlier this summer, ultimately complicating those negotiations.

Carnevali now intends to exploit that leverage, with Sportal reporting the Bianconeri could secure Muharemovic at a reduced cost by effectively purchasing back a share of a player they already part-own.

Bologna demand €25m for Lucumi as Juventus race against mid-July release clause deadline

The Lucumi situation carries its own urgency as Bologna are asking €25 million for the Colombian centre-back, as per CalcioMercato.it, having rejected Juventus’s opening offer of €18-20 million.

Crucially, a release clause of €28 million is only valid until mid-July, after which Premier League clubs could enter the auction and drive the price significantly higher.

Spalletti first identified Lucumi as a defensive priority in January, and Juventus are keen to avoid a repeat of that window’s complications.

Muharemovic, meanwhile, is representing Bosnia at the World Cup, having missed the Qatar game through suspension after his red card against Switzerland.

Italian football journalist Gianni Bezzi has defended Inter Milan’s cautious approach to the Palestra negotiations, insisting the club were right to take their time over a deal that has ultimately seen the young right-back choose Chelsea over the Nerazzurri.

Speaking to TMW Radio, with quotes via FCInter1908, Bezzi was measured in his assessment of a player who has attracted extraordinary attention this summer.

“I understand Inter’s behaviour too, they thought about it a lot before closing the operation,” he said.

“Is Palestra already a player of such quality that he can represent a turning point for Inter and Chelsea? For me he was someone who still needed a step of growth.

“It is a great exaggeration, Palestra is no Maldini. Maybe he will explode, but I have some doubts, and Inter were right to think carefully about it.”

Palestra’s Chelsea choice driven by personal and financial factors as Inter avoid potential overpay

Bezzi acknowledged the personal dimension of Palestra’s decision while placing it in broader context.

“He made a personal choice to play in one of the most important leagues, but it was also an important economic choice,” he said.

For Inter, who had been on the verge of completing the deal before Chelsea intervened, the development is a blow, but Bezzi’s take suggests it may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise if the young talent’s development does not match the enormous expectations surrounding him.