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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.
#5 Francesco Totti undecided over future
AS Roma have received enormous criticisms from their fans after the club made series of a highly controversial decision. The Rome-based club has decided to part ways with club legend Totti and Danielle de Rossi while selling star defender Kostas Manolas to direct rival.
Both Totti and de Rossi had served the club for more than a decade before Roma announced their exit. Totti joined Roma board after retiring as a player in 2017. He was widely regarded as one of the club's best players during his playing time, amassing 619 club appearances and scoring 250 goals.
However, the 42-year old's tenure as AS Roma director did not go as planned. The former AS Roma forward previously claimed that he was barely involved in the decision making at the club. He resigned as the club's director last month, but he admitted that his future is still uncertain.
“For now, I see myself on the beach,” Totti said. “I don’t know what I’ll do next, I am evaluating. There have been many proposals, and I’ll choose the best one, even whether it’s in Italy or Europe. However, I could even decide to just take time off. It's all up in the air right now.
“The role isn’t as important for me as the chance to work well with the right mentality and motivation. I thought long and hard before deciding to leave Roma. I am not following any of their progress right now, but I hope they are doing a good job. I haven’t heard from anyone at the club.”
Totti also revealed that Sampdoria have put an interest in him.
“Ferrero (Sampdoria President) calls me every day… He even has a spot on the beach near mine,” he concluded.
#4 Manchester United told to pay €100 million for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
The Lazio star has cemented his reputation as one of the best midfielders in Europe since joining the Rome-based club in 2015. He seemed to hit the peak of his career in the 2017/18 season, amassing 12 goals from 35 league appearances. However, he saw a considerable dip in productivity last season, as he managed to score just 5 times from 31 apps.
Many interested clubs have cooled their interest in him since then. Nevertheless, the Serbian still managed to claim Serie A's best midfielder award last season. Now, a recent report from Italy states that Manchester United are keen on his services. Lazio sporting director Igli Tare is said to have departed to London to hear the Red Devil's proposal for the player.
However, Tare reportedly demanded €100 million for the star midfielder. The report further states that Milinkovic could be a replacement for wantaway Paul Pogba. Pogba's agent Mino Raiola has confirmed that the Frenchman is willing to depart from Old Trafford.
#3 Valentino Lazaro reveals the reasons behind his Inter switch
The former Hertha Berlin right-back officially joined Inter for around €20 million. He is now one of Inter's latest signings alongside Diego Godin and Stefano Sensi. Lazaro had an excellent season with Hertha Berlin before joining Inter, scoring 3 goals and contributing 3 assists from 31 league appearances.
Inter struggled to find a reliable right-back last season. The Italian outfits signed Atletico defender Sime Vrsaljko on loan, but the World Cup finalist managed to make just 10 appearances in the Serie A.
Now, Inter have a clear ambition to win the Scudetto following Antonio Conte's appointment, and Lazaro revealed that the former Chelsea boss convinced him to join Inter's exciting project.
“Inter are an enormous club, right at the top level, with a great history full of success, plus they’re in the Champions League,” the Austria international told Berliner Zeitung newspaper.
“The conversations I had with Antonio Conte and the projects he has really convinced me. Thanks to Conte, I know that I can grow as a player.
“I’ll always be grateful to the Hertha Berlin fans and the club for all the support they gave me. Of course, I’m proud that Inter spent so much on the transfer, as it means they really believe in me," he said.
#2 Christophe Galtier turns down AS Roma
Lille President Gerard Lopez admitted that AS Roma approached Lille boss Galtier. Galtier had an impressive spell with the French club last season, claiming 75 points and finished 2nd in the league table. Roma, on the other hand, had a disappointing season under both Eusebio di Francesco and Claudio Ranieri.
Unfortunately for the Serie A side, Galtier turned down their offer to stay with Lille. Roma had also contacted Maurizio Sarri and Antonio Conte, but the club eventually appointed Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca as their new manager.
“We feel proud not that Galtier turned down Roma but proud about what that says about Christophe’s feeling for this club,” Lopez said.
“It’s a reason to be proud of for me. This isn’t about it being a competition with Roma, but the fact that today we have such a good working rapport with Christophe and (director of sport Luis) Campos.”
#1 Real Madrid offer €100 million plus either Gareth Bale or Toni Kroos to hijack Paul Pogba
The Frenchman has become a hot property in the transfer market recently. His agent Mino Raiola and the player himself have admitted that he wants to change club. The player has received a lot of criticisms despite amassing 13 goals and providing 9 assists last season.
Manchester United bought Pogba for a massive €105 million in 2016, and the Premier League side would surely demand an enormous fee for the player. Numerous reports state that Juventus and Real Madrid are the most likely destination for the 26-year-old.
The report further states that the Los Blancos are even ready to offer around €100 million of cash plus either Bale or Kroos to edge past Juventus in the race. Gianluca di Marzio, via Football Italia, previously stated that the midfielder would prefer Juventus to Real Madrid. However, the situation might change due to Madrid's enormous financial muscle.
