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Hello and welcome to the Serie A news and rumours of the day! As usual, there are many exciting stories from the rumour mill to read. So, let's take a look at the top stories of the day surrounding the Italian league.
#3 Arsenal line up deal for 3 Serie A players
The Gunners failed to secure a top 4 finish after a series of crunch battles with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. They also missed out on the Europa League title, as they lost to Chelsea in the final of the competition. Nevertheless, they were so close to secure Champions League football.
According to a report from Italy, Arsenal are now set to considerably strengthen their squad by bringing Armando Izzo, Franck Kessie and Ivan Perisic. Izzo was Torino's standout defender last term, amassing no less than 37 appearances as a starter. Torino conceded just 37 goals during the 2018/19 season, with only top clubs such as Juventus, Napoli, and the Milan duo having a better record. Torino value the defender at €20 million but he could be available for at least twice that.
The English side are also looking for Kessie, who played as AC Milan's regular last season. The midfielder amassed 34 league appearances as a starter, scoring an impressive 7 goals and providing 2 assists. The Ivorian starlet is valued at €33 million and could cost Arsenal €40 million.
Perisic, on the other hand, could be available for a bargain €30 million. The World Cup finalist was a regular under Luciano Spalletti, making 34 appearances and scoring 8 goals. However, new Inter boss Antonio Conte sees him as a sellable asset.
Unfortunately, Arsenal will need to sell several players first before making any moves. Nonetheless, the Gunners could offload stars such as Lucas Torreira, Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny to fund the transfers. Torreira sales should offset the capture of Kessie while Ozil's departure could free up significant amount of cash in transfer fees and wages.
#2 Cannavaro believes Manolas will help Napoli a lot in the Champions League
Former Real Madrid defender Fabio Cannavaro hinted that Napoli could be a Champions League contender if the Serie A side manage to snatch Kostas Manolas from AS Roma. The Greek defender is reportedly close to joining Napoli on a €36 million deal.
Napoli, however, will not pay in full cash as Partenopei will include Amadou Diawara in the deal. Diawara is also said to have accepted to move to Roma.
Cannavaro said:
“If Napoli really want a step up in quality, they need to do it with Manolas,
"The Greece international in a partnership with Koulibaly would be exceptional. They both know how to defend deep or higher up the pitch, from close quarters or when forwards run at them. They’re excellent in one-on-one situations.
“With two players like that, you can afford to commit more men in attack and create better scoring opportunities.
“The big clubs with centre-backs who have these characteristics can go all the way in the Champions League. I’m talking about Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane at Real Madrid, while Ajax came so close with Matthijs de Ligt.”
#1 Paul Pogba asks Adidas to help him to join Juventus
Juventus have been closely linked with Paul Pogba recently. Bought for a club record fee in 2016, Pogba has struggled to maintain consistency at Manchester United. The 26-year-old scored an impressive 13 goals and provided 9 assists through the 2018/19 Premier League season.
However, the Frenchman found the net just twice in his last 15 appearances for United. He has also confirmed that he could depart from Manchester United. According to a recent report, Pogba will try to do everything to escape from Old Trafford. The report further reveals that Pogba will ask Adidas to help him to join Juventus.
The kit manufacturer has a mammoth €408 million contract with the Old Lady and could help with the financial aspects of the transfer. Sadly, Pogba's Juventus return would still be difficult, especially if the Old Lady are to shell out €70 million for Ajax sensation Matthijs de Ligt.
The report says that United value Pogba at eye-watering €150 million, and the Italian champion will also need to battle Real Madrid for the Frenchman's signature.
