Football Italia

Juventus are chasing highly-rated young wingers Eliesse Ben Seghir and Mikey Moore as the club look to continue the strategy that secured them high-flying youngster Kenan Yildiz.

Ben Seghir attracts Juve interest after strong season

Reports from the Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that the Turin side are once again looking at youthful signings who they hope can be an important part of the future.

Ben Seghir is the same age as Yildiz, at 20, but has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s brightest prospects with Monaco.

The Moroccan international played 33 times for Monaco in the league last season and another ten games in the Champions League.

The winger also received a bronze medal at last summer’s Olympics as he helped his side finish third.

Juventus want ‘Moore’ like Yildiz

Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore is another player reportedly linked to Juventus. At 17, the English starlet is considerably younger than both Ben Seghir and Yildiz. However, making his Premier League debut at 16 and featuring in Spurs’ Europa League-winning campaign, the young winger has proven his worth – and potential for the future.

Spurs have already fought off interest from the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United for Moore – yet Juventus will be hoping the lure of the Old Lady proves tempting for the 17-year-old.

There are reports in England that Tottenham Hotspur are pursuing Roma midfielder Niccolò Pisilli, scouting him at the Under-21 European Championship.

The talent turns 21 in September and only recently signed a new contract, which runs to June 2029.

That guarantees a salary that increases year on year to reach €2m net per season.

A product of the prolific Roma youth academy and a Giallorossi supporter since childhood, it would take something remarkable to tempt him away from the Stadio Olimpico, especially with the arrival of new coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Pisilli firmly on Tottenham Hotspur radar

There are even suggestions from TEAMtalk and French transfer pundit Sebastien Vidal that Tottenham are close to an agreement with Roma to purchase Pisilli.

Italian media only points towards some vague interest, but it would be a very unpopular move to sell one of the homegrown talents.

He made 41 competitive appearances for the Giallorossi this season, contributing three goals and one assist.

The midfielder already has one senior cap for Italy and is currently being scouted by Spurs during the European Under-21 Championship.

Antonio Conte reveals the series of tragedies that prompted his return to Italy, but also when he realised Tottenham Hotspur wasn’t the club for him. ‘We were not used to celebrating Champions League qualification as it if was the Premier League title.’

The Napoli coach is fresh from winning another Serie A title with a third different club, having already achieved this with Juventus and Inter.

He also won the Premier League at Chelsea in 2017 and returned to England for Tottenham in November 2021.

It was an ill-fated experience that ended in March 2023 and he discussed it on Sky Sport Italia in the in-depth Buffa Talks interview.

“That was certainly a difficult year. I arrived at Tottenham in November with the team ninth in the table, in the first year we beat Arsenal to the Champions League spot. For Tottenham, you must understand, qualifying for the Champions League is practically the same as winning the Premier League title,” noted Conte.

“I remember at the end of the game with Norwich, there were celebrations in the dressing room. I called my staff over and told them, we’d better not get used to this sort of celebration, meaning we shouldn’t be celebrating Champions League qualification as if it was the Premier League title.

“We were accustomed to celebrating for very different things.”

Conte failed to end Tottenham losing streak

Tottenham were known for going decades without winning a major trophy, which is why Conte was brought in to break that streak.

However, a series of personal tragedies ruined the whole experience for the Italian coach, above all the sudden loss of his key assistant Giampiero Ventrone.

“I had signed a contract for a year-and-a-half, to see what situation I was getting into, but all sorts of things happened that year. Ventrone died from leukaemia that took him away in the space of 15 days. That was an incredible blow, emotionally and psychologically, because we had such a strong bond,” explained Conte.

“In the same period, Gianluca Vialli died. I’d seen him a month earlier, along with my wife at a restaurant. He seemed calm, but there was also the sense something was not right. Sinisa Mihajlovic died around then too.”

Conte pushed for return to Italy

So many deaths of friends and colleagues in his age group inevitably had an effect on Conte, especially as he had a health scare of his own.

“I started reconsidering my priorities. My family was in Italy, though my wife always made great efforts to come and stay with me as much as possible. I started to wonder how much it was really worth it, to sacrifice time with friends and family, when you could face tragedy or simply not be here, from one day to the next.

“It wasn’t a crisis, but it did make me change some of my priorities.”

Conte had surgery to get his gallbladder removed in February 2023 and defied doctor’s orders by going back to work at Tottenham too quickly, all of which fed into his decision to leave in March 2023.

“I had an emergency operation, because I risked developing pancreatitis. That year, all the things that happened, made me reflect on what priorities I should be focusing on. The passion for football made me overcome many difficulties, but we’ve got to realise at some point what we are truly prepared to sacrifice, right?”

Italy international Guglielmo Vicario insists he’ll always be grateful to ex-Italy coach Luciano Spalletti: ‘He was our leader, in good and bad times.’

Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario discussed Spalletti’s Italy exit in an interview with La Repubblica.

The 66-year-old was sacked after a 3-0 loss against Norway last week, but remained in charge for one more game against Moldova, which the Azzurri won 2-0.

Vicario grateful to Spalletti

“He’s the coach who gave me my senior debut. I’m the only goalkeeper who has managed to play four games since Donnarumma came along. I’ll always be grateful to him,” said Vicario.

“I haven’t written to him yet. I want to send him a message that truly reflects what I feel, then have a proper conversation, as people who shared a life journey through sport.

“He was our leader, in good and bad times. He fully embraced the role, and he gave us a lot. We’ll start over, with the same awareness of what he left us, both in footballing and moral terms.”

The Azzurri were disappointing in last summer’s Euros, facing elimination in the round of 16 against Switzerland. The improvements over the last year have been limited. Despite convincing wins over France and Belgium, the Azzurri suffered a brutal blow in their World Cup qualification race with a defeat against their main group rival, Norway.

“We don’t make excuses, because when you lose big games, there’s no point looking for them. You have to take responsibility,” admitted Vicario.

Vicario: ‘Epic’ Europa League for Tottenham

“That said, we entered crucial matches after a season in which each of us had played over fifty games.”

Vicario is Italy’s second-choice keeper behind Gianluigi Donnarumma, to whom he is very much attached.

“There’s a great bond. When I first joined the national team, he had already played 45 international games. Now, he’s at 74, which says everything about Gigio,” said Vicario.

“I have nothing but respect for him. I’m happy to be his sparring partner, but I’m also very competitive.”

Vicario has just won his first major trophy at Tottenham, lifting the Europa League.

“The Europa League is a major trophy. It was epic for Tottenham,” he concluded.

Milan director Igli Tare met with an agent today who represents amongst others Bournemouth’s Hamed Junior Traore, Tottenham pair Radu Dragusin and Guglielmo Vicario.

Gabriele Giuffrida was spotted entering the Casa Milan headquarters and remained for three hours inside the building.

According to Calciomercato.it, there were several different players who came up in the discussion with new director of sport Tare.

Premier League players on Milan radar

They included former Sassuolo midfielder Traore, who is now playing for Auxerre on loan from Bournemouth.

Giuffrida also represents Tottenham Hotspur players Dragusin and Vicario, which could prompt some intriguing suggestions.

Milan had famously agreed to sell Fikayo Tomori to Spurs in January only for the player to turn down the move, so the clubs could try again.

It is possible they might include former Genoa and Juventus defender Dragusin as part of an exchange deal.

As for Vicario, Milan are looking for new goalkeepers even after the negotiations with Chelsea for Mike Maignan collapsed because the Blues would not raise their €15m offer.

Agent Giuffrida does represent another goalkeeper in Serie A, specifically Maduka Okoye of Udinese.

Tottenham Hotspur officially sacked coach Ange Postecoglou today, despite winning the Europa League, but he had been offered to Roma this summer when his position was already looking shaky.

The tactician worked with Italy internationals Guglielmo Vicario and Destiny Udogie to lift the Europa League trophy, ending a 17-year wait for major silverware at the London club.

Nonetheless, his Premier League form was enough to ensure they wielded the axe this evening and relieved him of his duties.

Tottenham pull plug on Postecoglou

It was not entirely surprising, so much that intermediaries had offered Postecoglou to Roma over the last few weeks as a potential heir to Claudio Ranieri at the Stadio Olimpico.

This was before the negotiations got into full swing with Gian Piero Gasperini, who today was formally announced after signing a contract to June 2028.

There are other Serie A clubs looking for a new coach, including Fiorentina and Parma, should the Australian still be seeking an experience in Italy.

Destiny Udogie has become a regular at Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur, so his agent warns Milan and other interested parties. ‘I challenge anyone to get him for under €50m.’

The former Udinese full-back was purchased in 2022 for €18m plus up to another €7m in performance-related bonuses, although he remained in Udine on loan for one more year.

The 22-year-old was in the starting XI of the Spurs side that beat Manchester United to win the Europa League Final on Wednesday evening.

It was his 35th competitive appearance for the club this season and he is today participating in the open-top bus parade to celebrate their first trophy in 17 years.

“It was a strange year for Tottenham, filled with injuries and a position in the Premier League table that does not reflect the real value of this squad, so the Europa League is a panacea for the many problems they had to overcome,” agent Stefano Antonelli told Tuttomercatoweb.

“Destiny, like all the Tottenham players, had a few too many injuries, leading to some ups and downs, but now he is focused on the Italy squad and preparing for next season. He played regularly for Spurs this season and it has been a steep learning curve. He is a player who could happily be at any of the top European clubs. By qualifying for the Champions League, next term will be completely different.”

Udogie sees future at Tottenham

Even after winning the Europa League, many expect coach Ange Postecoglou to be fired in the summer, so Udogie could have a new coach.

“When Postecoglou arrived the first year, we knew it could be a question mark for Destiny,” continued the agent.

“We were very careful to verify if it was wise to remain at Tottenham or have an experience elsewhere, perhaps for someone like Crystal Palace or Bournemouth. Instead, at the very first friendly of pre-season, Postecoglou showed great faith in Destiny. We can only thank him for all he’s done.”

There have been reports of a potential return to Serie A, with Milan above all interested in picking Udogie up as a replacement for Theo Hernandez this summer.

“I challenge anyone to get Udogie from Tottenham now for under €50m. What Italian club could really do that? Serie A is full of players who arrived from the Premier League and flourished, like Anguissa, Lukaku, Tomori and McTominay. Udogie is a regular starter for Tottenham, so something really crazy would need to happen for Spurs to let him go.

“He’d either have to be financially worth the sale, or no longer in their plans, and I think we can today rule out the second hypothesis.”

Tottenham’s Europa League win over Manchester United marked a significant sliding doors moment for Kevin Danso and Mats Hummels, with the latter eventually joining Roma after the club had initially tried to sign the Austria international.

Danso joined the Premier League side on deadline day of the winter transfer window, leaving Lille after three and a half seasons.

However, his move came just months after the French club had reached an agreement with the Giallorossi, who ultimately pulled out of the deal due to issues that emerged during the player’s medical.

How a failed transfer sent Hummels to Roma and opened the door for Danso at Tottenham

Still in search of a centre-back, Roma went on to sign Hummels on a free transfer in early September—a twist that would go on to shape both teams’ Europa League campaigns.

While Danso started only one of his three Europa League appearances for Tottenham, the German defender made five starts under Claudio Ranieri.

The first came in Roma’s 2-2 away draw at Tottenham, where Hummels scored a late equaliser for the visitors.

However, the 36-year-old also jeopardised Roma’s qualification hopes in the second leg of their round-of-16 clash against Athletic Bilbao, receiving a red card just 11 minutes into a match they would go on to lose 3-1—crashing out of the competition despite a first-leg win.

With Igli Tare set to be appointed as the new Milan sporting director, Gazzetta reports that Destiny Udogie will be a player to watch, especially if Theo Hernandez leaves, while Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is the ‘dream’ to strengthen the midfield.

Milan are expected to hire Tare as their new sporting director. The ex-Lazio executive and striker will be tasked with rebuilding a team that failed to qualify for European competitions this term.

He’s expected to hire a new coach as well, and Vincenzo Italiano is currently seen as the leading candidate for the role.

Read more – ‘Tare already knows who to sign and who to sell’ at Milan

Tare’s transfer priorities for Milan revealed

Gazzetta reports that if Italiano gets the job at San Siro, Bologna stars Dan Ndoye and Jens Odgaard would become natural transfer targets for the Rossoneri.

Milan will need a backup striker for Santiago Gimenez, and Udinese’s Lorenzo Lucca is among the first players on Tare’s list.

New defenders will also be needed, especially because Fikayo Tomori and Malick Thiaw have been tipped to leave in the summer.

According to the report, Tare’s priority at centre-back is Lazio’s Mario Gila, a player he knows well, having signed him at the Olimpico in 2022.

Luiz Felipe is another ex-Lazio defender monitored by Tare, like Fiorentina’s Pietro Comuzzo, who has recently signed a contract extension with the Tuscans, Giovanni Leoni (Parma) and Diego Coppola (Verona).

A big name in defence would be Tottenham’s Udogie, a primary target for Tare if Theo Hernandez leaves the club.

According to the report, Tare’s dream is to bring Sergej Milinkovic-Savic back to Serie A, but it may be hard to convince Al-Hilal and the player who earns €20m per season in the Saudi Pro League.

Whether SMS joins Milan or not, according to Gazzetta, Tare will still try to sign a player with a similar skill set.

Italy international Destiny Udogie feels injuries affected his development at Tottenham this season, but now hopes to win the Europa League for Spurs: ‘It would mean a lot.’

Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario’s Tottenham have reached the Europa League Final, which they will play against domestic rivals Manchester United in Bilbao tonight.

“It could be my first trophy. It would mean a lot,” Udogie told Gazzetta.

“It would be something really important, especially considering the difficult season we’ve had. It would be fantastic.

“We all want to win. It’s been a long time since the club lifted a trophy; it’s become our goal for this year.

“It’s been a tough season because of all the injuries we’ve had. They played a big part in what happened to us. But in Europe, the team managed to stay united and perform at the highest levels.”

The Italian left-back, a former Udinese defender, has had injury issues himself this term.

“It was difficult because of all my injuries and the constant effort to get back to full fitness,” he admitted.

“I’m trying to finish the season in the best possible way to help the team.”

Meeting the Red Devils, whom Tottenham have already beaten three times this season, will not diminish the special atmosphere the players will experience tonight.

“It’s a great thing, both teams have had a great run in Europe. We would not deserve to win,” Udogie insisted.

When asked whether he’d make some special gifts if Spurs win the trophy, Udogie replied: “No, but if I win, someone has to do it for me.”

Who, exactly?

“A close friend or maybe two…”

Udogie, 22, has only provided one assist in 34 appearances across all competitions this season, spending over 2.600 minutes on the pitch.

The Italian defender’s contract with Tottenham runs out in June 2030.