Riyad Mahrez pushes for Saudi; Giovani Lo Celso ready to say goodbye (again) to Tottenham; AC Milan, after Maldini there is always Maldini. Here are some of the main stories over the last few days of the transfer market from TribalFootball's transfer expert Rudy Galetti...
MAHREZ WANTS SAUDI - MAN CITY DISAGREE
Riyad Mahrez wants to land in Saudi Arabia, and this is a fact. The Algerian player has given his green light to the proposal received from Al Ahli: now, the Saudi Arabian club is pushing with Manchester City to convince the English team to let him go.
Currently the main issue in the negotiation is the position of City. After the first two official meetings, the Citizens have not changed their mind: Mahrez must stay with Pep Guardiola. But the Saudi club doesn't give up and has already scheduled a new round of talks within the week to go deeper on the proposal for Riyad.
The former Leicester player, for his part, has received a long-term contract with an annual salary set at around €50m: an offer to which it is hard to say no. The next few days will be decisive for his future: Mahrez, after fulfilling his dream by winning the Champions League, is ready for the Saudi Pro League and is trying to convince his club that saying goodbye is the right choice. Nothing is decided: we have to wait for developments between the clubs to understand where Mahrez will play next season.
NAPOLI CONSIDER DANSO TO REPLACE KIM
Napoli recently won the Serie A title, but after just a few weeks it is clear that the squad that will face the League next season will be different. Starting, as known, from the coach who will no longer be Luciano Spalletti, but Rudi Garcia: after the experience – not so happy – in Saudi Arabia with Cristiano Ronaldo and "his" Al Nassr, the former AS Roma coach not only will have to confirm the Italian title, but he will be called – as requested by president Aurelio De Laurentiis – to replicate and, if possible, to improve the path in the Champions League.
Not an easy task at all, with a squad that for sure will lose a valuable player like Kim Min-jae: Bayern Munich - having overtaken Manchester United in the race for the South Korean defender - is ready to pay the release clause of around 70 million euros at the beginning of July.
The Italian club is already moving towards an alternative: after the first contacts with Lens for Kevin Danso, the confidence in the negotiation for the Austrian centre-back has been growing in recent days, even if the request of the French club is considered too high at the moment.
A new round of talks to go deeper on the proposal is expected next week. Anyway, the aim of Napoli is to close an agreement soon for a new centre-back (Hancko, Lukeba, Lacroix, Scalvini are among the names on the list) to give immediately to Garcia a new defender.
ALLEGRI WON'T LEAVE JUVENTUS FOR SAUDI ARABIA: THE SUPERLEGA IS THE REASON
Massimiliano Allegri will be the Juventus coach again next season: unless there's sensational twists, the Italian manager will remain firm on the Bianconeri bench. And the reason is not economic: Saudi Arabia, as a matter of fact, advanced a pharaonic offer (over 20 million euros per season), but Max has always said no. The purpose? There is an unwritten settlement between the owners and Allegri for a medium-term project in which Juventus will accommodate every manager's request, like meeting Allegri's willingness to shape the team on his ideas.
The attempt to renew the contract of Adrien Rabiot - strongly requested by Allegri - as well as the quick negotiation to bring Arek Milik back to the Bianconeri: were all decisions taken by his will.
Going forward: the former player Magnanelli has been added to his staff - as he demanded - and Timothy Weah, taken as the "fifth" striker, fundamental in the offensive rotations that the Tuscan coach usually does in the various competitions over a season.
Summarising, Allegri is the profile chosen by Elkann and nothing, for the next 2 years, will change the mind of the Juventus management, who have a dream: making Allegri the first Juventus coach who will work in the Superlega.
AC MILAN CLOSING TRIPLE SIGNING: AFTER MALDINI, THERE IS ALWAYS MALDINI
Red Bird, a few weeks ago, created a real earthquake at AC Milan with the decision to sack Paolo Maldini (together with Ricky Massara). A choice that took everyone by surprise, like a bolt from the blue.
In addition, then, the farewell of Sandro Tonali - who had sworn "eternal love" to the Rossoneri - to Newcastle, has created a tense climate among AC Milan supporters who are railing against the club owners. In the last few hours, however, there seems to be something in the incoming market: having confirmed the arrival of Marco Sportiello as the new second goalkeeper, the Rossoneri are in these hours closing the negotiation with Chelsea for Ruben Loftus-Cheek (about 20 million euros) and are one step away from signing Luka Romero – a former Lazio player – as a free agent.
Three "new" players with the flavour of the past: the three negotiations, in fact, had been well addressed by Maldini and Massara. With Sportiello everything was practically done, the only thing needed was to finalize the deal. Similar situation with Chelsea for the English midfielder, whose sponsor has always been the former AC Milan captain, in love with his talent.
Contact with Romero had also been well directed by the previous management: an acceleration in the last few days has brought the negotiation at the last stage. In short, the "new" AC Milan are taking shape, but they look a lot like the Milan that Maldini imagined: what a pity.
LO CELSO TO SAY GOODBYE TO TOTTENHAM: LA LIGA (AGAIN) IN HIS FUTURE
The coaches change, but Giovani Lo Celso's fate at Tottenham is always the same: the Argentine player is not yet part of Spurs' plans which, after a 1.5-year loan experience at Villarreal, have put him back on the market. With the hope, this time, of being able to sell him on a permanent deal.
There are no lack of admirers: first of all, his former club, Villarreal, who would like to negotiate a small amount to bring him permanently to La Liga, despite a season below expectations. Also from the Spanish league, there is another team on his tracks: Real Betis. The Verdiblancos are setting up an interesting incoming market: as told weeks ago, Marc Roca from Leeds and Hector Bellerin as a free agent are the main targets for this transfer session.
But Lo Celso is also a profile closely followed by Betis and - with a suitable request - could be a concrete option for them despite the situation of William Carvalho – close to Al Nassr, but now locked by the arrival in Saudi Arabia of Marcelo Brozovic – that could slow things down for the Seville team.
