Atalanta are reportedly intensifying their pursuit of Fulham centre-forward Rodrigo Muniz, with a meeting also planned for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

According to Sky Sport Italia, 24-year-old Muniz is increasingly seen as the hot favourite to reinforce the attack in Bergamo following Mateo Retegui’s record breaking transfer to Al-Qadsiyah.

The Brazilian found the net 11 times with two assists in the Premier League last season and his contract only runs to June 2026, although the club does have an option to extend by another year.

Formerly of Flamengo, Muniz made the €8m transfer to Fulham in 2021.

Muniz and Mateta on Atalanta radar

Sky Sport Italia also warn that Atalanta directors might use the trip to England to have other meetings too, specifically with Crystal Palace.

This is because Mateta is seen as another alternative for the attack, even after the reported €34.7m proposal was rejected.

He recently turned 28 and had an impressive 14 goals with two assists in 37 Premier League appearances last term.

Ivan Rakitic has been forced to issue an apology to Juventus fans after he accidentally used an insulting chant against them when celebrating Luka Modric’s move to Milan.

Croatia international Rakitic retired in July after a career spent with FC Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Al-Shabab and Hajduk Split.

He is good friends with fellow Croatian Modric and posted on Instagram to celebrate this new experience of joining Milan as a free agent.

Modric congratulations included Juventus insult

However, what the former midfielder didn’t realise was that the song he picked to accompany this image of them together was not just in support of Milan, but actively insulting towards Juventus.

When it was pointed out to him, Rakitic removed the offending clip and posted an apology on his Instagram Stories.

“I wish to extend my sincere apologies to the supporters of Juventus. My intention was solely to use a song associated with AC Milan to congratulate my friend Luka Modric, without being aware of the historical context or the lyrics tied to it.

“I had absolutely no desire to offend anyone, least of all a club for which I hold the utmost respect.”

The song was a chant heard regularly in the stadium, ‘Chi non salta e un gobbo Juventino,’ translated as ‘whoever doesn’t jump is a Juventus supporter.’

Gobbo means hunchback and is an insulting term used to describe Juve fans.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic)

It has been a busy day in Serie A with several transfers completed, including Simon Sohm to Fiorentina and Abdoulaye Ndiaye coming in at Parma.

Which official transfers were announced in Serie A on August 4, 2025?

Football Italia takes a look at every confirmed move in Italy’s top flight today.

Parma in and out

The Stadio Tardini was the centre of attention today, with one player coming in and another going out.

Sohm headed for the exit and completed his €15m plus €1m in add-ons transfer to Fiorentina, with the Ducali keeping a cut of the future sale fee.

Meanwhile, Parma brought in central defender Ndiaye from Troyes, with an agreement believed to be worth €6.5m plus bonuses.

Elsewhere, Roma have sold Ola Solbakken to Nordsjaelland after a series of loan experiences, bringing in a fee of circa €1m.

Bologna also sold defender Martin Erlic to FC Mitdjylland, again in the Danish Super League, for a reported €5m.

Serie A transfers completed on August 4, 2025

Simon Sohm from Parma to Fiorentina (permanent)

Abdoulaye Ndiaye from Troyes to Parma (permanent)

Alessio Brambilla from Cremonese to Bra (loan)

Martin Erlic from Bologna to Midtjylland (permanent)

Ola Solbakken from Roma to Nordsjaelland (permanent)

Joshua Tenkorang from Cremonese to Ravenna (free)

Mattia Scaringi from Cremonese to Ravenna (loan)

Udinese are reportedly the favourites to snap up Belgium international Axel Witsel, who is a free agent after his Atletico Madrid contract expired.

The 36-year-old did not see his deal extended by Atletico Madrid when it was allowed to run down in June.

According to Belgian transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri, the club currently out in front for his signature is Udinese.

Why Udinese are favourites for Witsel

His priority is to get as much regular playing time as possible at a high level so that he can earn his place in the Belgium squad going towards the 2026 World Cup.

Udinese are in turn looking for more quality and experience in the side, especially as veteran Florian Thauvin is on the verge of a move to RC Lens.

Witsel had been close to a Serie A experience once before, famously sitting in a hotel for hours waiting for the move to Juventus on deadline day in 2016, only for the deadline to pass with no agreement between clubs.

A product of the Standard Liege academy, he had experiences with Benfica, Zenit St Petersburg, Tianjin Quanjian, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid.

Torino continue negotiations with Napoli for Giovanni Simeone, but are also in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt for Aurele Amenda with a bid worth €8m plus bonuses.

As Football Italia transfer expert Alfredo Pedullà had already exclusively reported on July 26, the Granata are pushing hard to sign striker Simeone.

The centre-forward is enthusiastic about the idea of the transfer and just waiting for the two clubs to reach an agreement.

Those talks are continuing and should be finalised over the next 24-48 hours.

Simeone and Amenda on the radar for Torino

Meanwhile, Sky Sports Deutschland claim that Torino have been in advanced discussions with Eintracht Frankfurt for defender Amenda.

It is reported that the offer on the table is worth €8m plus add-ons, which the Bundesliga team would be prepared to accept.

However, Toro have not yet agreed personal terms with the player, who has also been linked with clubs in the Premier League and LaLiga.

The centre-back just turned 22 last week and is a Switzerland international with four senior caps.

Napoli are edging closer to an agreement with Juventus for midfielder Fabio Miretti, as Sky Sport Italia report they offered €14m.

The 22-year-old is a product of the Bianconeri youth academy who spent last season on loan at Genoa, where he made 25 Serie A appearances, scoring three goals and providing three assists.

His agent Giovanni Branchini confirmed last week that there had been some negotiations between the two clubs.

Miretti targeted by Napoli for midfield

Now Sky Sport Italia transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio claims that an offer has been made worth €14m.

It remains to be seen if it will be sufficient to get a deal over the line, but Napoli are said to be increasingly optimistic that it can be achieved.

Miretti only celebrated his 22^nd birthday yesterday and his contract with Juventus runs to June 2028.

He has one senior cap for Italy, which was achieved in November 2022.

Another candidate for the Napoli midfield is Giovanni Fabbian of Bologna.

Simon Sohm has officially completed his transfer from Parma to Fiorentina and assures his aim is to ‘qualify for the Champions League.’

The midfielder had his medical tests this morning after the clubs reached an agreement for the fee.

It is believed to have cost €15m plus a further €1m in add-ons, while Parma can retain a five per cent cut of any future sale.

The negotiations had been dragging on for the best part of a month and there was finally a breakthrough last week.

Sohm eager to begin Fiorentina adventure

“It is a beautiful city, I really like the Viola Park complex too, so I am very happy,” he told the official club website.

“Serie A is a very strong league, I already experienced that last season. Now I want to take another step up and Fiorentina is a great club where I can grow. I want to help the team, and also grow individually.”

Sohm was rather lonely at the training ground in Florence, because the squad is already in England for their pre-season tour, where they were beaten in a friendly by Leicester City at the weekend.

“My idea is to qualify for the Champions League and tomorrow I’ll get to meet my new teammates.”

The Switzerland international had been at Parma since his €6.4m move from FC Zurich in October 2020.

That means he helped the Ducali to promotion from Serie B and then to remain in the top flight.

Last season, Sohm contributed four goals in 37 Serie A appearances for the club.

Gian Piero Gasperini announced a radical change in the Roma approach, as Lorenzo Pellegrini is no longer the captain. ‘I have 7-8 captains and hope they can become 15 or 20.’

The new coach spoke to reporters at the UK training ground during their pre-season tour, which is going to culminate in friendly matches against Aston Villa and Everton.

You can read the rest of his comments here.

Roma take captaincy pressure off Pellegrini

Among the other subjects discussed, Gasperini was asked whether Pellegrini would still be the undisputed captain of the Giallorossi this season, as he has been since 2021.

“It is not going to be an issue,” assured the former Atalanta boss.

“We will adopt a system that has always worked well with me, which is giving the armband to whoever has the most appearances for that club.

“I have 7-8 captains and hope they can become 15 or 20. The captains are those who play for the team and have a sense of attachment.

“It is a hierarchy based on appearances for the club and that is all. There is nothing else to be considered.”

The decision was also aided by the fact that Pellegrini is currently injured, so would not have been able to wear the armband at the start of the season anyway.

“He was left behind in Rome so that he could focus on making a full recovery and improve his fitness levels.”

Although Pellegrini was born and raised in the Roma academy, representing the club he has supported since birth, he is not the current player with the most appearances.

That goes to Stephan El Shaarawy with 320 games for the Giallorossi, followed by Bryan Cristante on 318.

Pellegrini is only third in that list with 316 matches, then there is a big gap until Gianluca Mancini on 274.

More details are emerging on the new Milan offer for Ardon Jashari that convinced Club Brugge, namely €33.5m plus €2m of easy to achieve bonuses and €2.5m that are tougher to activate.

The first to report a breakthrough this evening in the long-standing negotiations was Belgian transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri.

He was quickly followed by Daniele Longo, who has come up with more precise details of what changed in the offer.

How Milan and Jashari broke Club Brugge resistance

It must be noted that it is not just the new Milan terms, but also the added pressure from Jashari, who asked to be released for this transfer to San Siro.

The latest bid had been turned down at €32.5m plus €5.5m in add-ons to reach a total of €38m.

According to Calciomercato.com Milan transfer pundit Longo, the new offer put forward today is a fixed fee of €33.5m.

Another €2m is guaranteed as long as the Rossoneri qualify for the Champions League just once in the next five seasons.

There are also a further €2.5m in bonuses that are harder to activate.

Parma have officially purchased Abdoulaye Ndiaye from Troyes in a deal worth €6.5m and are close to the sale of Dennis Man to PSV Eindhoven for €8m.

The Ducali welcomed Ndiaye this morning to undergo his medical and he then put pen to paper on the contract until June 2030.

It is believed to be an agreement worth €6.5m plus bonuses.

He is a 23-year-old central defender who has one senior cap for Senegal and had been in France since 2020.

After Olympique Lyonnais and Bastia, the centre-back joined Troyes for €3.5m in 2023, impressing last season while on loan at Brest.

Ndiaye in for Parma, Man out

Meanwhile, Sky Sport Italia report that Parma are very close to the sale of Romanian international striker Man to PSV Eindhoven.

As reported previously, the agreement is in progress and should be concluded for circa €8m plus add-ons.

He turns 27 later this month and had been at the Stadio Tardini since leaving Steaua Bucharest in a deal worth €12.6m in January 2021.

Last season, Man made 34 appearances for Parma, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

Along with Ardon Jashari, Milan are also reported to be closing on an agreement with Young Boys for Zachary Athekame, offering €8m plus add-ons, confirming Alfredo Pedullà’s story.

The Rossoneri are really pushing hard to complete the squad for coach Max Allegri after returning to Italy from their pre-season tour.

Athekame ready for Milan transfer

According to multiple sources including Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sport Italia, they have made a fresh proposal to Swiss team Young Boys.

The asking price had dropped to €10m, and a €7m offer was rejected, so the latest bid is believed to be worth €8m plus add-ons.

They trust it will be sufficient to sign Athekame, especially as the player has made it clear to his employers that he only wants to join Milan.

The 20-year-old right-back can also play in a more advanced role and was linked with Bologna and Udinese too.

Last season, he contributed one goal and three assists in 43 competitive games for Young Boys.

Nottingham Forest are reportedly on the verge of securing Hellas Verona full-back Jackson Tchatchoua after offering €12m plus add-ons.

The Cameroon international had also been linked with a move within Serie A to Milan or Inter, but they were not prepared to meet the asking price.

Tchatchoua set for Premier League transfer

It would seem that the Premier League club have no such qualms, as Tuttomercatoweb claim that the decisive bid will come in from Nottingham Forest at €12m plus bonuses.

It is a huge profit for Verona, who took Tchatchoua on loan from Charleroi in 2023 and then purchased him outright for €3m last summer.

He has two goals and five assists in 62 Serie A appearances for Hellas Verona.

The right-back can also play on the left when required and will celebrate his 24^th birthday next month.

It would represent another shopping spree in Serie A for Nottingham Forest, who have already snapped up Dan Ndoye from Bologna after a bidding war with Napoli.

There are reports in Belgium and Italy that Milan have finally agreed a deal with Club Brugge for Ardon Jashari for €33.5m plus €4.5m in add-ons.

According to transfer experts Sacha Tavolieri and Daniele Longo, the two clubs talked again this afternoon and reached a significant breakthrough.

Part of that was, in the view of MilanNews, a change in the payment terms that ensured Club Brugge would get their cash quicker than previously anticipated.

It is therefore possible they agreed to reformulate the offer to a larger part in fixed fee and smaller figure set aside for bonuses.

Calciomercato.com put those figures at €33.5m fixed fee and €4.5m add-ons, so the total remains €38m.

Jashari only wanted Milan

The matter has been dragging on for weeks and the player intervened personally to beg for them to shake hands on this move.

It comes after an offer worth €38m including add-ons was rejected, much to the anger of the midfielder and his entourage, who felt this was more than adequate.

The Switzerland international turned 23 last week and promised to snub other offers from the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea and the Saudi Pro League.

He had his heart set on Milan, having become a supporter during a childhood visit to San Siro for a Champions League fixture.

Gian Piero Gasperini reveals how he is trying to improve Artem Dovbyk ‘weaknesses’ and the players Roma still need to bring in this summer. ‘The teams with the best strikers are the most competitive.’

They are on a pre-season tour in the UK and training at St. George’s Park ahead of friendly matches against Aston Villa on August 6 and then Everton on August 9.

“We are now into the final phase of preparation and this is the ideal place because of the weather, so we also have some good tests coming up,” Gasperini told reporters.

This is a brand new project with a radically different style of football, but also a big change for him too after nine years of working with Atalanta.

“A few roles need to be filled, but the team is taking shape. A lot will depend on how strong we are in attack and that can determine the strength of the squad. It’s not just true for us, but for all teams, you see that the biggest investments are made on the forwards. The teams with the best strikers are the most competitive.”

Gasperini revamping Roma to fit his football

Roma already have some big names upfront, although Paulo Dybala is still recovering from a serious injury, while Dovbyk has struggled in his first Serie A season.

“Dybala is with us going through his personalised training schedule, but we hope next week he can return to working with the squad. Dovbyk was a big investment, he scored goals and showed he is a valuable centre-forward,” said Gasperini.

“We are working to improve some of his weaknesses, like his ability to link up with the rest of the team. He mustn’t be too early or too late, so it’s like music, if you have the wrong tempo, it becomes a problem.”

Roma have already brought in several new faces this summer, including Flamengo wingback Wesley, who had already been targeted by Gasperini at his old club.

“He is a player who was in Roma’s sights, and I knew him well because Atalanta had practically done a deal last year, then it all fell apart at the last minute. Wesley was not a specific request of mine, but a profile that the club was already tracking, as he is a Brazil international and has real margin for improvement. If he had already been a complete player, he’d have cost a lot more.”

Daniele Ghilardi was snapped up from Hellas Verona for over €10m plus add-ons to reinforce the defence, which is now consolidated with a three-man structure.

“He is one of the profiles that Roma were looking for and one of the reasons why I was called here,” explained Gasperini.

“The club needs to work and grow with young players, creating a squad that can become stronger over time. The lads are eager to have a great season.”

Among the roles that still need to be filled is that of trequartista, a creative midfielder who can sit behind the striker.

“We are almost complete, but are a bit stretched thin in some areas, so we need more players, because not everyone can take part in 50 games.”

Hundreds of Milan fans crowded in the street to see new signing Luka Modric, who threw his shirt down to the supporters.

The midfielder held his presentation press conference this afternoon and you can read his comments here.

After that, he was taken to the club’s flagship store in Via Dante to meet the fans, and they turned up in their droves.

They packed out the street below the window and sang the Croatian’s name as they waited for him to pop his head out of the window.

He held up his Number 14 jersey and threw out a few of them to the waiting crowd before stepping down to meet some of them in person, sign autographs and pose for selfies.

Milan fans give Modric a memorable reception

𝐋𝐮𝐤𝐚. 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐜. 𝟏𝟒. 𝐀𝐂. 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧.

Alberto Mangili per https://t.co/jlTDBgF49e#Milan #milanpress pic.twitter.com/hO3RwSj9JE

— MilanPress.it (@MilanPress_it) August 4, 2025

𝗕𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗢 𝗗𝗜 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔 𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗖

Store del Milan preso d’assalto dai tifosi rossoneri per incontrare il campione croato pic.twitter.com/Eux0oUOHpW

— MilanNews.it (@MilanNewsit) August 4, 2025

#Modric14 pic.twitter.com/HsfktOpxmp

— Daniele Longo (@86_longo) August 4, 2025

𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲: 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗮 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗶 𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗼𝘀𝗶 𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗶

Alberto Mangili per https://t.co/jlTDBgF49e#Modric #Milan #milanpress pic.twitter.com/YYOKHZjYrj

— MilanPress.it (@MilanPress_it) August 4, 2025

The latest chapter in the Ademola Lookman row with Atalanta saw him fail to attend training today, as he tries to force through the transfer to Inter.

The rapport between the player and his club has hit rock bottom and the situation seems to be at a breaking point.

According to multiple sources, Lookman was expected at the Zingonia training ground today for pre-season commitments, but was nowhere to be seen.

Lookman has declared war on Atalanta

It comes after he published a long statement on Instagram accusing Atalanta of “broken promises” and confirming he had handed in a formal transfer request.

La Dea responded in the form of CEO Luca Percassi, who insisted that while they had promised to sell him this summer if a suitable offer arrived, it was to a club outside of Italy, not their Serie A direct competitors Inter.

Now this refusal to attend training will further bring matters to a head, as Inter hope they can convince Atalanta by increasing their proposal of €42m plus €3m in add-ons.

This gesture just makes it clear how aggressive the action taken by Lookman is becoming, and it remains to be seen how his club will respond.

The 27-year-old is under contract until June 2027.

Juventus are trying to revitalise Teun Koopmeiners after a dismal debut season by taking him back to a deeper midfield role, similar to the one he had with Atalanta.

The Netherlands international arrived last summer as a huge investment, costing €58.4m plus bonuses to poach from Bergamo.

His performances made him look like a shadow of the player who had been so admired with Atalanta, and part of that was the tactical position reserved for him by both Thiago Motta and Igor Tudor.

Koopmeiners tweak can revive Juventus

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Tudor is now experimenting with a tweak that could give Koopmeiners greater control and make the most of his characteristics.

He struggled as a trequartista behind the striker, either in a 3-4-2-1 formation or the 4-2-3-1 system.

The plan therefore is to pull Koopmeiners back into a deeper midfield role, where he can dictate the tempo and spray passes for his teammates.

That in turn is affecting the transfer strategy, because it means Juventus are pushing to find forwards rather than midfielders, even if Douglas Luiz and Weston McKennie are sold.

In the most recent friendly outing against Reggiana, Fabio Miretti was used in the trequartista slot, with Koopmeiners joining Manuel Locatelli in the two-man midfield.

Luka Modric reveals why he has supported Milan since childhood and hopes to follow in Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s footsteps. ‘We mustn’t be content just with qualifying for the Champions League.’

The veteran midfielder turns 40 next month, but after 13 years at Real Madrid where he won it all including the Ballon d’Or, he wanted one last challenge.

It was also a childhood dream come true, having supported the Rossoneri since becoming enamoured with the style of his Croatian hero Zvonimir Boban.

“I grew up watching Italian football and Milan was my favourite team in Italy, especially as they had my idol Boban, so I always had a particular affection for the Rossoneri,” he revealed in his presentation press conference.

“I used to talk to Boban about Milan whenever we met up. I saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while Carlo Ancelotti also spoke highly about Milan. I always had this very positive impression of the club and its fans. The welcome I received was remarkable.”

He signed a one-year contract with an option to extend to June 2027.

Modric supported AC Milan since childhood

This event was delayed because he had to finish his Real Madrid commitments in the FIFA Club World Cup, then go on a three week vacation before starting pre-season training today.

“We remember Milan as one of the best teams in the world. We mustn’t be content just with a mediocre season or qualifying for the Champions League.

“That is my vision of Milan, but we must also be humble, work hard to get the team back to the highest level. I am very competitive and I want to bring this to the team.

“The minimum objective is to qualify for the Champions League, but Milan must also fight to win trophies. It is my objective, and must be for anyone who works at Milan.”

They finished last term with a trophy, the Supercoppa Italiana, but lost the Coppa Italia Final to Bologna and failed to qualify for any UEFA tournament.

This will at least give new coach Max Allegri time to work with his players in training throughout the week and focus all their energy on Serie A.

“I can offer my experience. I will work hard, give my all and try to do the same things that I did elsewhere,” continued Modric.

“I know there are big expectations around me, but I am ready for that. I cannot wait to start this challenge. I watch a lot of Serie A, also because there are so many Croatian players, and I always enjoyed Italian football. It is very competitive and getting back to the era where it was the best tournament in the world.

“The teams are really well-organised and this makes it different to LaLiga. I must adapt quickly to this style of football. I can’t wait to get to meet Allegri, he is one of the best coaches in the world, a winner.”

Milan director of sport Igli Tare flew to Croatia in order to personally present the project to Modric, a gesture that further intrigued him.

“It was a very easy choice once Tare called and when he came to Croatia, it showed how much Milan really believed I could still perform at the highest level. That was a turning point for me,” confessed the player.

“I needed time to talk to my family, but in my heart I already knew this was the best choice. I saw the faith they had in me.”

Although Modric turns 40 in September, the last player of that age to represent Milan was Ibrahimovic, and he won the Scudetto.

“I hope something similar can happen, I’d be very happy,” he replied.

Among the highlights for a dismal campaign last year was a Champions League victory away to Real Madrid.

“Clearly, last season did not go well for Milan, but that is in the past now. We must work hard and look to the future with confidence. If Milan play the way they did at the Bernabeu last season, we must understand why they couldn’t always play like that. It means the level of quality is high and we need to keep it like that constantly.”

Ivan Rakitic wrote on social media that Milan are ‘so lucky to have’ Modric, but the Croatian legend feels differently.

“I am lucky to be part of this enormous club like Milan, and I take nothing for granted. I do not see myself as someone special, I am just a normal guy who likes to play football and am fortunate enough to play for a big club like Milan.

“I can’t wait to start this new adventure, I am fired up and hope it can go along with my expectations. It is a great sensation to be able to help the team, but one player cannot do anything by himself, no matter what his name is. We must create a team, within which the individuals can give their best,” concluded Modric.

Sky Sport Italia report that Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste is leaning towards Ipswich Town rather than a more lucrative Saudi offer from Neom SC.

He turns 26 next week and already spent last season at Ipswich Town on loan at a cost of €1.5m.

There are advanced negotiations for a return to Portman Road at a cost of €8m, albeit facing competition from the huge salaries on offer in the Saudi Pro League.

They are said to be offering €2.5m for the loan, with a further €8m option to buy.

Ipswich Town most likely for Cajuste

Other clubs linked with him over the last few weeks include Besiktas, Crystal Palace and Burnley, but it would seem that the draw of the familiar is proving strong.

Sky Sport Italia claim this afternoon that Cajuste is leaning heavily towards the Ipswich Town transfer and a final decision is expected over the next 24 hours.

Napoli paid €11.5m to purchase him from Stade Reims in August 2023 and he made practically no impact at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

He managed 35 competitive appearances for the club, just 16 of them in the starting XI, contributing two assists.

Roma are reportedly turning towards Lecce for reinforcements, looking to strikers Nikola Krstovic and Santiago Pierotti, especially if Artem Dovbyk leaves.

The Giallorossi are trying to transform their squad to suit the tactics of new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, which means a great deal of turnover in the current group.

Dovbyk is believed to be on the market after just one season in Serie A where he struggled to adapt, and the asking price would be around €30m.

Lecce strikers intrigue Roma

According to Calciomercato.it, the primary target to replace him is Krstovic, who has in turn put Roma at the top of his own personal wish list.

The Montenegro international scored 11 goals with five assists in 37 Serie A appearances for Lecce last season and would cost circa €25m.

He has also been linked with Atalanta and Leeds United, but would prefer to come to the Stadio Olimpico.

Sky Sport Italia point out that Roma are also targeting another Lecce player, namely Pierotti.

The Argentine only arrived in January 2024 and found the net four times with two assists in 36 Serie A games last season.

The versatile 24-year-old can play in a variety of attacking roles, mainly down the right wing.