PAPER TALK - City's €65m offer for Bonucci, Napoli chase West Ham flop Zaza. Juve, Spurs want Isco
Coach Maurizio Sarri isn’t so enthusiastic about bringing back Duvan Zapata from Udinese (who would love to return), while the name of Miroslav Klose is doing the rounds. The Partenopei are also interested in Leonardo Pavoletti of Genoa, but for January.
They would also be in the market for the likes of Simone Zaza of West Ham, and Gregoire Defrel of Sassuolo.
The Corriere claim that Juventus are back in the market for Spanish international Isco. The Real Madrid wantaway recently expressed all his frustration at his lack of playing time (“If I’ve still made but a few appearances by the end of the season, I’ll look elsewhere. At 24 years of age I have to right to better myself”), opening the door for Tottenham, Milan (though the Corriere have their doubts) and Juventus, who last tried to bring the Merengue during the summer.
He is a target for January, with the Bianconeri hiring a FIFA agent to mediate.
Everton are, according to the Corriere, in the market for Juventus reserve goalkeeper Neto. Formerly a highly-rated shotstopper at Fiorentina, the Brazilian had forced through a very unpopular transfer to rivals Juventus, hoping to one day pick up Gigi Buffon’s mantle.
Instead, Beppe Marotta’s recent talk of looking for a successor have angered the Brazilian, but the Old Lady doesn’t want to give him away, anyway.
Barcelona are also in the market for Stephan Lichtsteiner, though the Swiss player will be mindful of international team-mate Gokhan Inler, who found himself being left off the plane for Euro 2016 after a season riding the bench at the King Power Stadium.
Manchester City, Bayern, Chelsea, Seville, Manchester United, Milan and Napoli are all reported to be after Ivorian international Franck Kessie, the highly-rated Atalanta midfielder who began life with a bang this season. They’ve all sent scouts to watch the scorer of four Serie A goals so far, with Inter Coach Frank De Boer agreeing to the notion of signing him (Suning and Thohir are big fans) and ready to scout him in two weeks… when Kessie faces the Nerazzurri!
In speaking of Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Corriere has reminded us that Real Madrid, Chelsea and Juventus are all interested in him, but also that Gianluigi Buffon’s Number 2 could now cost potential buyers as much as €60-70 million, not the €40m he was valued at previously.
It will probably cost the Rossoneri something like €200m to offer deals to their young stars, which include M’Baye Niang, Davide Calabria, Manuel Locatelli, Mattia De Sciglio and Alessio Romagnoli. Around a month ago, Tottenham Hotspur made an ‘indecent’ offer for youngster Niccolo Zanellato (who is 18), only to meet with the Diavolo’s stiff resistence.
Tuttosport, meanwhile, open with two big stories: first, that Chelsea are willing to spend €55m (PLUS Cesc Fabregas!) for Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci… and second, that Pep Guardiola has convinced City to splash out €65m!
This has pushed Juventus to offer the Azzurri international a bigger deal, worth €4.5m, not €3.5 a season.
The Bianconeri are also being linked with Nemanja Matic again, with Chelsea ready to netotiate if a €20-25m offer is made, but only if Cesc Fabregas stays or is himself replaced.
Tuttosport write about Inter’s latest plan to nab Matteo Darmian from Manchester United: Javier Zanetti! The vice-president gets on very well with former Nerazzurro Jose Mourinho, and the hope is that the Special One’s own Milanese past may persuade him to keep Darmian away from Juventus.
AC Milan’s new director of Sport, Massimiliano Mirabelli, has thrown the Diavolo into the race for Viktor Lindelof, having followed the Benfica defender when he was at Inter Milan. Now, Mirabelli hopes to add another name to the defence, an expense (€30m, his release clause) justified by the Rossoneri going for European spots in January.
@EdoDalmonte
