ROME, DOCUMENTS SIGNED FOR ABRAHAM TO BESIKTAS: €17 MILLION TO THE GIALLOROSSI. MILAN, MIDFIELD FOCUS ON JASHARI BUT BORUSSIA DORTMUND COMPETITION EMERGES. REAL MADRID WILL NOT EXERCISE REPURCHASE OPTION: NICO PAZ TO STAY AT LEAST ANOTHER YEAR AT COMO. PARMA, AUCTION OPEN FOR LEONI: INTER IN POLE, BUT MILAN AND JUVENTUS ARE ALSO INVOLVED. MILAN ALSO BIDS FAREWELL TO FLORENZI: `LEADER ON AND OFF THE FIELD: THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING, SPIZZI!`. NAPOLI, CONTACT WITH UDINESE FOR LORENZO LUCCA. `WHITE SMOKE` (AGREEMENT) GETTING CLOSER. ATALANTA, AHANOR DEAL: €20 MILLION TOTAL TO GENOA, SIGNATURES EXPECTED TOMORROW. NAPOLI, JUVENTUS RE-LAUNCHES BID FOR OSIMHEN: CONTACTS OVER THE WEEKEND, SEEKING AGREEMENT.
The financial details of the deal that will take Tammy Abraham from Roma to Besiktas are being finalized. The agreement between the two clubs outlines a complex but clear financial structure designed to generate the necessary capital gain for Roma by midnight.
The transfer will be structured as a €2 million paid loan, which Besiktas will pay to Roma immediately. This will be followed by a €13 million obligation to buy, triggered under specific conditions. An additional €2 million in bonuses, likely tied to individual player performance or team achievements for Besiktas, could further increase the fee for Roma.
In total, the operation could yield Roma up to €17 million, combining the fixed fee and bonuses. This is a significant figure that helps the club meet Financial Fair Play requirements and provides Besiktas with an internationally recognized striker for the upcoming season.
Milan is moving decisively to complete its new midfield. After securing Samuele Ricci from Torino and having long had an agreement with Luka Modric, the third target for the department`s restructuring is Ardon Jashari, the 22-year-old Bruges midfielder and MVP of the last Belgian league season.
The player has expressed a preference for Milan, but Borussia Dortmund now represents concrete competition, boosted by the €65 million received from the sale of Bynoe-Gittens to Chelsea. Bruges is asking for at least €40 million for Jashari; Milan has offered up to €30 million plus bonuses but could potentially close the deal for a base fee of €35 million.
Jashari remains the priority, but if the deal falls through, Milan could look at alternatives like Javi Guerra from Valencia. Discussions with Bruges have also included De Cuyper, a left-back also followed by Roma and a potential successor to Theo Hernandez, who is reportedly close to joining Al-Hilal (€25 million plus bonuses). On the right side, Milan is eyeing Guela Doué from Strasbourg and Martim Fernandes from Porto. Finally, a response from Malick Thiaw is awaited regarding a potential transfer to Como.
A surprise update regarding Nico Paz`s future. The attacking midfielder for Como was expected to return to Real Madrid, but Real Madrid has decided not to exercise their initial repurchase option, which expires today. The 2004-born player will therefore remain at Como for at least another season, unless another club can convince Como`s management and Cesc Fabregas to sell him.
It`s no secret that Inter wants him for their youth setup under Cristian Chivu, but that seems unlikely at the moment. Real Madrid`s decision appears aimed at allowing the player another season to develop before potentially investing in him later. They still have the option to buy him back in the next two years, albeit at a higher cost than the current option.
In his career, Nico Paz has made 54 appearances with 12 goals for Real Madrid Castilla, 35 appearances with 6 goals for Como, and 8 appearances with 1 goal for the Real Madrid senior team. The young player has also earned 3 caps for Argentina`s senior team, 4 for the U23s, and 8 for the U20s, scoring once for the latter.
Inter has launched an assault for Giovanni Leoni, Parma`s promising 2006-born center-back. The young talent, born in Rome, had a brilliant season with Parma in Serie A and is currently considered one of the most interesting prospects in Italy. The Nerazzurri have moved decisively, initiating contact with Parma to try and anticipate competition, partly due to their excellent relationship with coach Chivu.
Leoni`s valuation is estimated to be between €25 and €30 million. This is a significant figure, justified by his potential and the growing interest in his services. Inter aims to close the deal leveraging their good relationship with Parma and potentially including some counterpart players to lower the cash outlay. However, it will not be a simple negotiation.
An auction has truly broken out for the young defender, with Milan and Juventus ready to enter the fray for the Italian prospect. Both Italian giants have been following Leoni for some time and could soon present official offers. The future of the Parma center-back will be decided in the coming weeks, but Inter currently seems to be in the lead in the race for one of Italian football`s most promising players.
Alessandro Florenzi will not continue his journey with Milan. The Rossoneri club officially announced the departure of the former Roma player on their social media profiles a few minutes ago, bidding him farewell with words of esteem and gratitude: `Leader on and off the field: thank you for everything, Spizzi!`.
In his career, the 1991-born player boasts 280 appearances and 28 goals with Roma, 77 appearances and 3 goals with Milan, 37 appearances and 11 goals with Crotone, 36 matches and 2 goals with PSG, and 14 matches with Valencia. He has made 49 appearances for the National team, scoring 2 goals. He also played 18 matches with the U21s, scoring 5 goals, and appeared 4 times for the U20s. His honours include a European Championship with Italy, a Serie A title, a Coupe de France, a Trophée des Champions, and a Primavera Scudetto.
It will now be important to understand what his future holds. Many fans hope for him to take on a role within the club, but if he wishes to continue playing, he will have to do so elsewhere. Everything will be clarified in the coming weeks, and it is likely that the player himself will speak publicly about his future.
Today, there was official contact between Napoli and Udinese for Lorenzo Lucca. The situation is progressing quickly, and there should be no hitches, despite Atletico Madrid`s reported interest in the past few hours, which seems ineffective given the situation appears largely defined.
There will be another contact tomorrow to continue discussions between the parties. The fixed fee could be slightly lower, but the total could reach around €40 million with all bonuses achieved, some easily attainable and others more difficult.
The agreement with the striker has been in place for some time. Lucca said yes to the transfer to Napoli also to work with Antonio Conte, a coach who strongly desired him, even publicly praising him after the last match against Udinese: “They made it very physically demanding for us. We pressed for 95 minutes, exposing ourselves to counter-attacks and second balls. Because Lucca was there, who is dominant in duels. It`s difficult to play against him: if you press high, they always play a long ball to him, and they force you to chase. The energy expenditure is enormous.” Lucca was preferred even over Darwin Nunez, who would have earned a higher salary, and will become Lukaku`s backup, with the possibility of rotating in the three competitions.
Juventus is reportedly re-launching its bid for Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian striker, born in 1998, is known to have a release clause valid solely for foreign clubs set at €75 million, while a transfer within Italy would involve significantly higher figures. However, the Bianconeri club is not deterred. They are reportedly making a renewed push for the player, who is currently on vacation with a future to be defined but certainly away from Napoli after the breakdown in relations a year ago.
There were contacts over the past weekend between Juventus and Osimhen`s entourage regarding a potential move to Turin. This move by the Old Lady aims to secure the player`s agreement and reach a preliminary contract understanding before approaching Napoli regarding the value of the release clause. The path taken by Juventus is becoming concrete and heating up, but the room for negotiation that the Neapolitan club will allow remains to be seen.
Napoli, for their part, needs to move Osimhen, especially to offload his heavy gross salary of €11 million per year, which weighs on their balance sheet and which President Aurelio De Laurentiis` club wants to get rid of as soon as possible, also to make space for new arrivals.
Atalanta is ready to make another promising signing, once again demonstrating its ability to scout and secure young talents. Honest Ahanor, Genoa`s promising 2008-born winger, is reportedly on the verge of becoming a new Nerazzurri player. This strategic move comes at a busy time for the Goddess, who is preparing for the imminent sale of Matteo Ruggeri to Atletico Madrid, reaffirming their philosophy of building for the future by focusing on the brightest young players.
The deal for Ahanor is reportedly defined in its economic details. It`s an operation worth a total of €20 million, including a fixed fee and various bonuses tied to future objectives. This is a significant amount for a very young player, highlighting Atalanta`s great confidence in his potential and their desire to secure a quality reinforcement for the future of the left flank.
Atalanta is currently completing the necessary documentation to formalize the transfer. Signatures between the two clubs, which will sanction Ahanor`s move to the Nerazzurri, are expected as early as tomorrow, making the arrival of one of Italian football`s most interesting prospects official at the Zingonia talent factory.
CHELSEA DEAL, JOAO PEDRO ARRIVES FROM BRIGHTON: TOTAL AGREEMENT FOR A HUGE FEE. REAL MADRID, CAPTAIN CARVAJAL RETURNS: “AFTER NINE MONTHS I`M READY TO COME BACK”. MANCHESTER UNITED, RASHFORD RETURNS FROM ASTON VILLA. THERE IS STILL A RICH CLAUSE FOR HIM. TOTTENHAM TARGETS KUDUS. AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS, THE EMBARGO WITH WEST HAM COULD END. PSG, AFTER LOAN AT ASTON VILLA, ASENSIO IS READY TO LEAVE. FENERBAHCE INTERESTED.
Brighton reportedly did not want to sell Joao Pedro in this transfer window, yet growing interest from the Premier League was a reality they had to face. The 23-year-old Brazilian, moreover, has never hidden his ambition to play on the most prestigious stages of European football, with an eye on the upcoming World Cup where he hopes to play a leading role for Brazil.
The Seagulls have always had a clear policy: sell at the right time, both for the club and the player, provided the offer reflects the player`s actual value. If the figure is adequate, no one is obstructed. A departure for the Brazilian seemed likely, especially after his sending off against Brentford and an altercation in training with Jan Paul van Hecke. Incidents that, while not making him a `bad boy,` were not received very well internally.
Arriving from Watford in May 2023, Joao Pedro made his mark with 40 goals in 70 total appearances. He was the top scorer in the 2023/24 Europa League group stage, decisive with his late goal against Marseille that paved the way for qualification. And now Joao Pedro is heading to Chelsea, with whom Brighton has reached an agreement for £60 million, which is approximately €70 million. A remarkable profit for a player who helped bring the club into the top 10 last year and was their top scorer in their first European campaign. Brighton will now take their time to evaluate options for replacing him.
“After nine months away from football, I`m back and ready to play. I`m available for the coach.” These are the words attributed to Daniel Carvajal. A brief and concise statement, but tremendously powerful and important. Xabi Alonso will thus have a true club legend available, useful both on the field and for initiating the new era under the former Bayer Leverkusen coach.
Carvajal suffered a terrible injury that saw both his anterior cruciate ligament and collateral ligament torn, not to mention a meniscus tear. A severe injury that kept him sidelined for nine months until now. A few months prior, the 1992-born player had experienced one of the best periods of his career, lifting the La Liga and Champions League trophies with the Merengues and the European Championship with Spain.
Now, however, the right-back is ready to return to the field, where he will be guided by Xabi Alonso, his former teammate at Real Madrid during Alonso`s playing days. This adds another reason to envision a synergy that can also help the other members of the squad.
It seems certain now that Marcus Rashford will not be an Aston Villa player next year. Aston Villa has reportedly communicated that they will not pay the player`s release clause, which is a significant £40 million.
This is an important factor in the player`s future, as the clause will remain valid for any club interested. It`s no secret that the 1997-born player wants to transfer to Barcelona and intends to push with every possible means to join Hansi Flick`s project. These are just theoretical assumptions at the moment, as the Blaugrana are evaluating other profiles.
Regardless, Rashford had a decent season at Aston Villa but once again failed to find consistent form. Statistics show 25 appearances in the Premier League, with 6 goals and 3 assists. This was not enough, according to Aston Villa, to justify such an expensive buy-out. It`s a shame considering the 2022-23 season where the former prodigy seemed poised to reclaim the spotlight. In that year, he scored 30 goals in all competitions, but at the moment, that appears to have been an exception.
Mohammed Kudus` destiny does not yet seem entirely settled, with West Ham hoping for a significant capital gain. A few days ago, reports indicated that Neom, a newly promoted Saudi Pro League team poised to be a major player in this transfer market, had approached the Hammers.
West Ham is understandably awaiting developments with anticipation, but in the meantime, they do not want to rule out other possibilities. One particular path could lead not far away, specifically to Tottenham. Tottenham is also reportedly interested in the player, strengthened by their participation in the upcoming Champions League.
The salary offered by the Saudi club would obviously be much higher (€15-20 million per season), but at twenty-four years old, the career prospect might be better at Tottenham. If the player chooses the English club, it would be a historic event. After fourteen years, the transfer `embargo` between the two teams could end, having lasted since 2011, the year Scott Parker (current Burnley coach) moved from the Hammers to the Spurs. Since then, no transfers have occurred between the two rivals, and this could be the time to break that long trend.
Somewhat surprisingly, Marco Asensio will not play for Aston Villa next year. The Spanish attacker arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January, tasked with redeeming himself after a few less-than-stellar seasons. The former Real Madrid player made 21 appearances under Unai Emery, proving effective during his time in Birmingham, scoring 8 goals.
Analyzing further, it must be noted that Asensio started strongly, scoring all his goals within his first nine appearances, while the end of the season saw a decline in form. Nevertheless, the Spaniard expected to be signed permanently, but Aston Villa opted to send him back without negotiating a buy-out.
Approaching thirty years old in January, Asensio is looking for a new team that can guarantee him a leading role and, crucially, save him from a likely bench role under Luis Enrique at PSG. The solution could reportedly lie in Turkey, as Jose Mourinho`s Fenerbahce is already reportedly initiating talks with the Parisian club. The most probable scenario in this case would also be a loan with an option to buy.
