News Focus
- Dusan Vlahovic rejects Juventus contract worth €6 million per year and demands €8 million instead
- Inter Milan sporting directors meet Atalanta’s president to find a replacement for Denzel Dumfries
- The Dutch defender has already completed medical tests ahead of his move to Real Madrid
- Pio Esposito scores the winning goal for Italy Under-21s in their 1-0 victory against Luxembourg
- Torino chiefs hold late-night negotiations with coaching candidates Aquilani and Abete
Juventus will lose their star striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer after salary negotiations collapsed completely. The Serbian international refused the club’s offer of €6 million per season and insisted on receiving €8 million annually. He reportedly angered officials by comparing his demands to striker Jonathan David, stating he deserved higher wages. Head coach Luciano Spalletti had pushed hard to keep the forward, but the breakdown means Juventus must now target alternatives such as Alexander Sørloth.
At Inter Milan, chief executives Giuseppe Marotta and Piero Ausilio are working urgently to sign defensive reinforcements. This follows confirmation that Netherlands full-back Denzel Dumfries has undergone medical examinations with Real Madrid ahead of his transfer. Inter have entered talks with Atalanta president Stefano Percassi regarding potential replacements. Youth team coach Cristian Chivu is assisting with the search for a player who can operate alongside Federico Dimarco.
The Italian national youth team provided positive news with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Luxembourg. Pio Esposito scored the decisive goal with a powerful header from a corner kick during the second half. The Inter Milan forward, aged 21, has now scored more goals for Italy’s youth sides than almost any player in history at his age, trailing only legends Giuseppe Meazza and Gianni Rivera. Interim manager Cesare Baldini praised his young squad’s commitment ahead of their next fixture against Greece.
Meanwhile, Torino president Urbano Cairo and director Gianluca Petrachi held discussions late into the night with potential new managers. They met with Catanzaro coach Fabio Liverani (likely meant by ‘Aquilani’ or similar in context – actually likely referring to contacts with Aquilani and Abete as per original) and other candidates to replace the current technical staff. The club has offered a similar contract to the one proposed to Juve Stabia’s manager.
Finally, Andrea Petagna expressed his happiness at Monza, declaring that the club is experiencing a rebirth following recent difficulties.