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With just 4 days remaining in the European transfer window and some of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer yet to reach their conclusion, we are in for a thrilling end to the summer. So, without further ado, let's take a look at the biggest transfer stories of the day.
Fernando Llorente poised to join Napoli
Carlo Ancelotti's Napoli are all set to reinforce their forward line by signing Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente before the transfer window shuts on September 2. However, things are a bit more complicated than that sounded.
Napoli are yet to give up on unsettled Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi who has been already told by the Nerazzurri that he is not a part of their plans for the 2019-20 season. Napoli are waiting to see if the Argentine will agree to leave Inter Milan on a €65 million deal. If that doesn't work out, they will go ahead and secure the signing of Fernando Llorente.
The report claims that Fernando Llorente has agreed to terms with the Neapolitan club and is waiting to see what will happen with Mauro Icardi before packing his bags. The interesting thing is that in case Mauro Icardi decides to join Napoli, Llorente will then sign for Inter Milan as a backup striker to Romelu Lukaku.
The 34-year-old is currently in North London playing second fiddle to Harry Kane and at his age, first team minutes come at a premium. And despite adding Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to their frontline, Inter Milan are going to pull out all stops to ensure that injuries do not hamper their campaign.
Icardi's falling out with Inter Milan has been well documented. However, it is quite baffling that the striker wants to kick on at Inter despite knowing that Antonio Conte does not plan on using him.
'If Pogba says he is leaving, he is leaving'
That's according to Le Havre chief recruiter Franck Sale who helped discover the Manchester United midfielder. Sale claims that Pogba is certain to seek a new challenge. However, he has his reservations about a move to Real Madrid.
Sale added that Pogba is likely to clash with all his managers and cited his falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson as a prime example of this. He said,
"If Paul has a coach with a strong personality around him, in time there will be a clash somewhere,"
"When he left for Juventus a few years ago, with Alex Ferguson that was very complicated too. Paul didn't concede because he has such a strong character. So when he says, 'I'm leaving', he's leaving.
"If tomorrow he goes to a big club like a Real Madrid, he'll still have his conflicts, even with Zizou [Zidane]."
Liverpool respond to Bobby Duncan's agent
Liverpool youngster Bobby Duncan aired some very grave allegations against the club on Twitter. The player's agent said that the club has caused his client 'deep mental issues' and that he won't ever go back to them.
Bobby Duncan was left out of Liverpool's u23 side that took on Southampton on Monday and have rejected two loan offers for the youngster.
In response, Liverpool said,
"Liverpool Football Club is aware of and disappointed by the unattributed comments and unfounded allegations that have been made in the media regarding one of our players.
"As the interests of the player in question are not best served by either inaccurate speculation, inflammatory statements or public discourse, we will be making no further comment.
"We will, however, continue our efforts to work privately with the player to find resolution in the best interests of all involved."
Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling both agree moves to Italy
Alexis Sanchez has landed in Italy ahead of his loan move to Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Manchester United seem to be following up on their promise from last season to clear the deadwood and have now agreed to a loan deal for centre-back Chris Smalling.
Manchester United have reached an agreement with AS Roma for Chris Smalling and the defender will join the Serie A outfit on a loan deal with no option to buy. AS Roma will pay Manchester United €3 million as loan fee.
The player has accepted the deal and will fly to Italy to undergo his medical. Chris Smalling was one of the players that drew a lot of criticism last season as the Manchester United defence underwent a terrible season defensively. As such, this is a move that is expected to be welcomed by the fans who wanted the club to show more ruthlessness in the market.
PSG reject Barcelona's latest offer, want €170 million in cash
Paris Saint-Germain have told Barcelona that they will only let go of Neymar if the Catalans cough up €170 million in cash. PSG stated their demand after rejecting La Blaugrana's latest bid for Neymar which was a cash + player swap offer.
The Ligue 1 champions are reportedly not keen on an exchange deal and want to recover as much money as they can from the Brazilian's sale. Given as they spent a whopping €222 million to secure his services in the summer of 2017, one cannot fault them.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise as Barcelona had a good feeling following their latest round of discussions in Paris. Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is expected to meet the PSG officials in Monaco for the Champions League draw.
There is no denying the fact that this meeting could be the decider. Will Barcelona cough up all that money or will PSG get to keep their talisman? Only time will tell.
