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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.
PSG's Leonardo reveals stance over several Serie A players
PSG have recently appointed Leonardo as their new director after the Brazilian left AC Milan. Many reports have linked the French champions with a plethora of Serie A players due to Leonardo's experience with Milan. Rossoneri starlet Gianluigi Donnaruma is said to be one of PSG's top transfer targets.
The Ligue 1 outfit have reportedly offered Alphonse Areola plus cash for the Italian shot-stopper. However, Leonardo stated that goalkeeper is not a priority for PSG, despite the club losing Gianluigi Buffon to Juventus. Buffon decided to return to Italy after spending just a season with the French club.
“A goalkeeper is not a priority. We have Kevin Trapp, Areola, Bulka and a fourth goalkeeper, Garissone Innocent. That is the reality of the situation today,” Leonardo said.
The PSG director also spoke about Matthijs de Ligt. De Ligt has been heavily linked to Juventus, and the defender's agent Mino Raiola confirmed that the deal is close to completion.
PSG and Barcelona have also been linked with the 19-year-old, but Leonardo revealed that the Dutch star would not come to PSG. The French club also have no plan to go for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who could be an alternative to de Ligt.
“No, De Ligt will not come to PSG. There was a possibility, he is a formidable player, but this is not the right time to make such a big investment. We must calm down a little, as we don’t just have €200m to spend lying around.
“As for Kalidou Koulibaly, he is a very expensive player too. There is no specific plan for the Napoli defender at the moment.”
The Brazilian was asked if Blaise Matuidi could return to PSG after Adrien Rabiot decided to join Juventus.
“I love Matuidi and have a great deal of admiration for him, but PSG already have a lot of strong players in midfield, and you can only play 11 at a time.
“I did not try to convince Rabiot to stay and extend his contract. I just made contact with his mother to say hello, but the matter was already well advanced for them, so we didn’t intervene.”
AC Milan want to keep Gianluigi Donnaruma and remain competitive
Many doubt that AC Milan can keep their best players after the club failed to secure Champions League football. Milan were very close to coming back to the Champions League, finishing just a point behind 4th-placed Inter. The Rossoneri had a spot in the Europa League, but the club decided to pull out of the competition.
Nevertheless, Milan director Paolo Maldini has revealed that the club still has a burning desire to get back to the top. He also insisted that the club want to keep Donnaruma for as long as possible. The 20-year-old has been one of Milan's hottest assets alongside Alessio Romagnoli.
“The fans understood this moment in Milan’s history, and they already proved that last season. We finished one point off the Champions League places.
“The flame is lit, and we need to make it burn brighter. Our objective is not to win, but to improve last season’s position and get back to the top as soon as possible.
“The idea we have right now is to keep Donnarumma for a very long time. At this moment, that is our position,” Maldini concluded.
Carlo Ancelotti comments on James Rodriguez
The Real Madrid midfielder has been linked to Napoli for some time now. Numerous speculations have surrounded the Colombian's future since Bayern Munchen refused to trigger the player's buy-out option. Real Madrid bought the midfielder for a massive £63 million in 2014.
Unfortunately, James gradually fell out of favour at the club despite having an impressive debut season with the Los Blancos. Napoli have tried hard to save his career, but they are yet to find an agreement with the Spanish club. Napoli boss Ancelotti suggested that James would add so much quality to the Serie A outfits.
“The quality of our play is the basis of our idea. James Rodriguez would certainly add so much quality, but unfortunately, he’s not a Napoli player yet.
“Maybe he never will be one, maybe he will. I don’t want to talk about players from other teams.
“We’re evaluating many opportunities on the market. We’re also looking for a midfielder, a player like Fabian, capable of playing in multiple positions and of his value.
“The only certainty is that I haven’t given the go-ahead for any sales. Maybe some players want to change clubs, but they’ll be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Our idea is not to sell our best players," Ancelotti said.
Real Madrid table €150 million to edge past Juventus in Paul Pogba race
The Paul Pogba transfer saga seems to have become more complicated recently. Both the Frenchman and his agent Mino Raiola have revealed the player's desire to move on from Manchester United.
However, the Red Devils have included the 26-year-old in their preseason squad, and this could mean that Pogba will not move to another club anytime soon. Juventus and Real Madrid remain his most likely destination. According to a report, Real Madrid have even tabled €150 million bid after United rejected their €80 million euros plus Gareth Bale offer.
A previous report mentioned that Juventus are set to bid €134 million for the Frenchman, but the Old Lady might lose the race due to Madrid's massive offer. Manchester United, on the other hand, have remained tight-lipped over their star's future. Pogba was Untied's top goalscorer last season, but critics have slammed him due to his inconsistency.
Juventus offer €50 million and Moise Kean for Matthijs de Ligt
The Old Lady seem set to close the drawn-out De Ligt saga. Super agent Mino Raiola confirmed that his client has agreed to move to Turin, but he will need to wait for Juventus to agree on a transfer fee with Ajax.
The defender has also been closely linked to top European clubs such as PSG and Barcelona. However, PSG director Leonardo has confirmed that the 19-year-old will not come to PSG, while Barcelona have remained tight-lipped about the saga.
According to a report from Gazzetta Dello Sport, via Calciomercato, the Old Lady have increased their offer, as they are ready to include Moise Kean in the deal. The club will also pay additional €50 million cash to convince Ajax. Many have regarded Kean as one of Europe's most promising talents. The 19-year-old impressed last season, scoring 6 goals from 13 league appearances.
