The summary of all the transfer market news of the day that has just been archived. Between rumors, negotiations and behind the scenes, here is the most important news.
MILAN, NOT JUST ARABIA ON LEAO: PSG IS ALSO THINKING ABOUT IT. RABIOT CONTINUES TO KEEP JUVENTUS ON STAND. MEANWHILE REAL IS THINKING ABOUT AFTER KROOS. ATALANTA IS THINKING ABOUT SAELEMAEKERS: THE BELGIAN COST 12 MILLION AND DOESN’T WANT TO REMAIN AT MILAN. FIORENTINA, NEW NAME FOR THE ATTACK: OBJECTIVE DEPAY. THE DUTCHMAN WILL BE RELEASED ON JUNE 30TH. TURIN ASKS FOR 45 MILLION FOR BUONGIORNO: NAPLES AIMS TO LOWER THE PRICE. VANOLI EVER CLOSER TO TURIN. HE HAS TERMINATED HIS CONTRACT WITH VENEZIA
Rafael Leao, currently involved in the European Championships with Portugal, is a hot name at Milan. In fact, there is no shortage of clubs ready to do crazy things to grab him. In particular, the mermaids come from Arabia. Al-Hilal – a Riyadh club that signed Neymar, Koulibaly, Mitrovic and Milinkovic-Savic last summer – is ready to put around 100 million euros on the table to sign the Portuguese (who has a 175 million clause). However, Milan does not seem to be interested in this proposal, just like the Portuguese in leaving European football. However, things could change when faced with a similar offer but from a big player on the Old Continent. According to what La Gazzetta dello Sport reports, PSG is on his trail (presumably to replace Mbappé). The French, however, are in no hurry. The timing of the offer that could possibly be presented for the Portuguese striker therefore needs to be understood and it seems that it will not be short. This is a topic that is of interest to Milan: there is a difference, in fact, between having the large budget resulting from the sale of Leao available already in the first weeks of the transfer market or in its final part.
Juventus has not yet been informed by Adrien Rabiot about his future, this is because the Frenchman is evaluating all the proposals he has received, including that of the Bianconeri. According to what was reported by gazzetta.it, after Saudi Arabia and the Premier League, La Liga has also knocked on the midfielder’s doors, with Real Madrid thinking of him for the post-Toni Kroos team. The club is Spanish, but has 4 Frenchmen in its squad (Mbappe, Tchouameni, Camavinga and Mendy), which is another reason to accept Los Blancos’ advances. If instead of Carlo Ancelotti there were Didier Deschamps on the Merengues bench there would be little doubt, Rabiot would play. However, if the interest materializes, it would be difficult to say no to Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Giuntoli has offered his mother-agent Madame Veronique a two-year contract with an option for a third year at figures similar to the current ones, therefore around 7.5 million per year, but the long-awaited yes has not yet arrived. In a few days the Old Lady will turn to plan B, which leads to Youssouf Fofana from Monaco, much appreciated in Turin, but who is also liked by Atletico and Milan. Finally, the spotlight is on Khephren Thuram of Nice, brother of Inter striker Marcus, who declared that the 2001 class is stronger than him.
Atalanta have also tested the waters for Alexis Saelemaekers. According to what was reported by the Corriere di Bergamo, the winger owned by Milan would cost around 12 million euros, an affordable price for the Goddess. The Belgian would not want to stay at the Rossoneri and at the Nerazzurri, compared to Juventus, another club interested in him, he would leave with a better chance of playing many matches, being further up the hierarchy. To shore up the defensive department we think of Martin Erlic of Sassuolo, Leonardo Balerdi of Marseille, Arouna Sangante of Le Havre, Yukinari Sugawara of AZ Alkmaar, the young Dean Huijsen of Juventus.
Fiorentina continues to think about how to strengthen the squad for next season, and one of the Viola’s first objectives is the one relating to the striker to be entrusted to Raffaele Palladino. According to what was reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, in the last few hours the name of a top player has emerged, currently involved in the European Championships with his national team, who is a free agent. This is Memphis Depay. The Dutch striker will leave Atletico Madrid and could be a real opportunity for the glittering club. The road is obviously still long, but the path, if there was the will of both, might not be impossible. The main issue concerns the salary, given that the former Manchester United player in Madrid received 4 million per season as his last salary. Considering that there will be no cost of the price tag, a solution could be found.
Negotiations between Napoli and Turin for Alessandro Buongiorno began some time ago, so much so that the Italian club has made an offer of 35 million euros including bonuses for the Granata. There has also already been a meeting between Conte and the defender, with the 1999 class who explained to the former Juventus, Inter, Tottenham and Chelsea manager that he was ready to work with him. Cairo, however, is a tough nut to crack and even asks for 45 million between fixed and variable parts. According to what was reported by Corriere dello Sport, there are still some distances to be closed, but sporting director Manna, who worked with Riso and Vagnati, is proceeding with caution and confidence. However, there is no shortage of competition because Inter have asked for time, Juventus have been interested for some time and the Premier League is always an eventuality to consider. However, when the demands decrease, the Neapolitans will accelerate. Another idea is the free agent Mats Hummels, a German defender who has also been proposed to Milan, Roma and Mallorca. A free transfer that Napoli has been dealing with for some time is Mario Hermoso, for whom the door is always open, but on the condition that his demands and those of the agent change. Finally there was contact with Lecce to ask for information on Marin Pongracic.
The first step towards seeing Paolo Vanoli on the Turin bench has been taken. The coach has in fact terminated his contract with Venezia, as communicated on the club’s official website. Below is the full note: “Venezia FC announces that it has reached an agreement for the consensual termination of Paolo Vanoli’s contract. Venezia FC affectionately thanks Paolo Vanoli, and all his staff, for the results obtained with the First Team , with whom he reached the Serie B playoffs in his first season after a fantastic comeback and obtained a promotion to Serie A in the following championship which will remain in the history of the club, Vanoli was able to embody the spirit of Venezia FC, enhancing the squad and contributing decisively to the creation of the strong bond between the club and the orange-green fans. Good luck, Mister.”
WALTER MAZZARRI WILL FLY TO IRAN: AGREEMENT REACHED WITH PERSEPOLIS. NO MAGIC WITH POTTER, THE NEW LEICESTER MANAGER IS STEVE COOPER. PSG, CAMPOS WANTS TO PROTECT HIMSELF AGAINST HAKIMI’S POSSIBLE GOODBYE: EYE ON GEERTRUIDA
Walter Mazzarri is ready to go again. After his brief return to the Napoli bench, which was not entirely successful, the Tuscan coach is ready to move to Iran. As reported by Sky Sport, he has reached an agreement with Persepolis Football Club, one of the two big names in the championship together with Esteghlal. For Mazzarri it will be the second adventure abroad after the one a few years ago at Watford. He will not be the first Italian coach in Iran: years ago Andrea Stramaccioni was the first to move to the Asian country to lead Esteghlal.
When everything suggested that Graham Potter would be the next manager, here came the surprise: Leicester chose Steve Cooper to take up the legacy left by Enzo Maresca. The Welsh manager, who has been without a club since being sacked by Nottingham Forest in December 2023, has had positive talks with the East Midlands club and has been announced. This is the statement: “Steve Cooper has been appointed as Leicester City’s new first team manager. The former Nottingham Forest and Swansea City manager, 44, has agreed a three-year contract and arrives at the King Power Stadium as the club continues its preparations for return to the top flight, following promotion last season. A manager with Premier League experience, he led Nottingham Forest and consolidated their position in the top flight between 2021 and 2023 and has built an excellent reputation in the football for his qualities as a coach and leader”.
It will be an important summer for Paris Saint-Germain, who will have to prepare for the first season without Kylian Mbappé. Luis Campos is working to satisfy Luis Enrique’s requests and is also thinking about the problems of the squad, with the backfield decimated by many injuries. We need strong reinforcements in the center of defense and beyond, given that Achraf Hakimi’s future hangs in the balance. The former Inter and Borussia Dortmund full-back has several offers and the Parisian club would have already taken steps to find his heir. Campos, the transalpine press reports, would have found the ideal profile in Holland, precisely in Feyenoord: this is Lutsharel Geertruida, a 22-year-old central defender who was invented as a full-back at the beginning of last season by Arne Slot. It must be said that the Dutch international has all the qualities of a modern full-back, i.e. speed and ability to make an impact: the 8 goals and 5 assists achieved in 34 league games demonstrate this. Currently engaged with Koeman’s team at the European Championships in Germany, his contract expires in June 2025. The Rotterdam club knows well that it will be difficult to retain Geertruida if PSG’s offensive materializes, but Bayern Munich are also on his trail , Leipzig and Liverpool.