Giovanni Simeone was a surprise report on July 26, but now Torino are on the verge of an €8m deal with Napoli, while talks continue for Gaetano Oristanio, Jay Idzes and Kassoum Ouattara too.

It had been an exclusive here over a week ago that the Granata were interested in Simeone and the negotiations have reached the final details to get an agreement over the line.

Napoli are ready to give the all clear for him to undergo his medical, with the fee set at a total of around €8m.

Simeone’s arrival will allow Duvan Zapata all the time he needs to make a full recovery from that serious knee injury.

Torino intensifying transfer activity in August

Meanwhile, Torino are also working hard on other deals, as we already saw our exclusives on Ardian Ismajli, Franco Israel and Cyril Ngonge pan out.

They remain very interested in Oristanio, a link we made exclusively here on June 27, and over the next few days there will be more discussions with Venezia.

A deal could be done on loan without the obligation to buy, but only an option, so we shall see.

Their meeting with Venezia could also stretch to a conversation about Idzes, although Sassuolo remain on his tail too, in case Saul Coco is sold.

Watch out also for AS Monaco left-back Ouattara, as revealed by ToroZone, who is also on their radar.

Despite the reports of other clubs taking an interest, Ipswich Town were the only real destination for Jens Cajuste, who will leave Napoli on loan with option to buy becoming an obligation with promotion.

We had reported exclusively on July 7 that the negotiations were in progress with the English club where he had already spent last season on loan.

Cajuste was always heading for Ipswich Town

Although over the last few days the reports have swirled around of other sides making an approach, including one from the Saudi Pro League, the fact remains that Ipswich Town were the only ones to make those concrete steps to sign him.

Now we are down to the details to complete the transfer, which will be a paid loan at circa €1.3m, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

That can become an obligation if the team is promoted back into the Premier League.

Napoli paid €11.5m to buy Cajuste from Stade Reims in August 2023 and he made 35 competitive appearances for the club, just 16 of them in the starting XI.

Milan have officially sent Christian Comotto to Spezia on loan, but there is still no all clear from Warren Bondo for Cremonese.

As predicted, the Rossoneri have loaned 17-year-old midfielder Comotto to Spezia until the end of the season, having previously extended his contract to June 2028.

There is no option to make this move permanent.

Milan frustrated by Bondo refusal

Meanwhile, Milan are still waiting for Bondo to accept a similar structure for the loan to newly promoted Serie A side Cremonese.

It would be a dry loan, meaning no option to buy, with Cremonese covering his entire salary and perhaps even adding a few bonuses in too.

However, the former Monza midfielder is still not open to accepting the transfer and it remains to be seen if the growing pressure will make a dent in his position.

Set to turn 22 next month, Bondo cost €10m plus up to another €5m in add-ons to sign from Monza in February 2025.

He made only five competitive appearances in the Rossoneri jersey for a total 164 minutes of football.

A series of transfer decisions involving Juventus, Napoli and Victor Osimhen leaves Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez as an increasingly possible option for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. 

Darwin Nunez left looking at Saudi option after Juventus and Napoli decisions

The Uruguay international has been on Al-Hilal’s shopping list for close to two months, dating back to the beginning of June. 

There had also been genuine interest in the former Benfica striker from a number of clubs in Serie A, most notably Napoli in their hunt for new attacking additions, and Juventus, who have not yet completed their centre-forward department for the 2025-26 season. 

Napoli, however, have since brought in Lorenzo Lucca at a cost of around €35m, while Juventus are focused on bringing Randal Kolo Muani back in from Paris Saint-Germain. 

Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal have also missed out on one of their prime targets in former Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, who has since moved back to Galatasaray on a permanent deal. 

Darwin Nunez, meanwhile, has been holding out for a move to Europe, but nothing has materialised thus far. 

The forward, who is increasingly likely to leave Liverpool this summer, has recently been involved in discussions with Al-Hilal head coach, Inzaghi, Football Italia understands. 

As things stand, the Saudi Pro League option is becoming increasingly concrete for Darwin.

Milan are on the verge of securing a deal for Young Boys right-back Zachary Athekame, working non-stop to shake hands for €7-8m plus add-ons to reach the €10m asking price.

This is not a done deal yet, so we must wait before celebrating, but he really is close to the all clear.

Young Boys were in no rush to sell, but since Milan stepped forward, it was Athekame who was pushing to leave, seeing it as an opportunity he could not give up.

Athekame a far more affordable alternative

The initial asking price had been €10m plus bonuses, but now the agreement could be reached for a total figure of €10m including those add-ons.

Both parties are constantly at work building on the foundations of €7-8m plus performance-related bonuses.

It is an enormous difference compared to the valuation of Guela Doué, with Strasbourg demanding €30m until it prompted Milan to turn elsewhere.

Now they are close to that alternative target, ready to secure Athekame.

Napoli have Miguel Gutierrez in their grasp for €20m and agreed personal terms with the Girona player, but have still not made a decision on whether to sign him.

The left-back has just turned 24 last month and is a product of the Real Madrid youth academy, who made the move to Girona FC in 2022.

Gutierrez has already agreed Napoli terms

As we already reported earlier this week, the interest had started in mid-May, before Napoli turned to look at other issues to resolve.

We added that a decision wouldn’t arrive in 24-48 hours from Wednesday, because the club is trying to reflect on the situation.

Indeed, we are now on Sunday and Napoli have still not pulled the trigger, quite simply because they are waiting for the next two friendly matches against Brest today and Casertana tomorrow morning.

After that, they can make a decision on whether to go all in or consider investing in other roles.

Simon Sohm will become a new Fiorentina player, as La Viola have everything in place with Parma and on personal terms with the one-cap Switzerland international. 

As Football Italia reported earlier this week, Fiorentina have been pursuing a deal for Parma midfielder Sohm. Fiorentina’s interest dates back to July 7, but have reached a breakthrough after Parma agreed to drop their initial asking price for the 24-year-old. 

Now, just shy of a month after Sohm was initially offered to the Viola, everything appears to be in place for his permanent transfer. 

Done deal: Sohm all set for Fiorentina

Fiorentina are expected to pay a fee of €15m plus €1m in bonuses for the former Zurich midfielder, plus a 5% cut of any future profits. 

Sohm himself  will sign a multi-year contract worth €1.2m per season in wages, plus bonuses. 

The documents needed to formally complete the transfer are now being exchanged, and visits for medicals and contract signings are expected to take place within the next 48 hours.

A huge surprise last Saturday, now absolutely confirmed, even more concrete in the last few hours. Torino have swooped in for Giovanni Simeone and intend to go all the way.

Let’s explore it further: in the coming days, Napoli are expected to give the green light. El Cholito has put the Granata at the top of their list of preferences.

And automatically, this too is a confirmed report, Antonio Sanabria will be let go. He has had several offers in recent days but Davide Nicola is eagerly waiting for him in Cremona.

Struggling Simeone needs fresh start at Torino

Last season, Simeone scored one goal and picked up one assist in 30 Serie A appearances, albeit spread over just 393 minutes. In fact, the Argentine has played just over 1000 minutes of league football since the start of the 2023-24 season and a move for Torino could offer a fresh start for the 30-year-old.

Antonio Conte has identified Bologna’s Giovanni Fabbian as the ideal backup for Scotland international Scott McTominay, although Napoli remain interested in Fabio Miretti as well.

Napoli may sign a new central midfielder this summer, with Miretti and Fabbian among their main targets in that position.

Conte considers Fabbian an ideal backup for McTominay

Surely, Napoli appreciate Miretti, who has returned to Juventus after a one-season loan spell at Genoa, but Bianconeri and Partenopei are not yet in advanced talks for the Italian midfielder.

Fabbian is another profile that Conte genuinely likes, and sources with knowledge of the matter tell me that the Italian tactician sees the product of the Inter academy as the ideal backup for McTominay.

Talks between Napoli and Bologna not advanced yet

Napoli have already held preliminary talks with Bologna, but negotiations are not yet at an advanced stage.

Surely, Fabbian has to be monitored in the coming days as Conte feels his late runs would help Napoli in the final third, just as it happened with McTominay in 2024-25.

Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal could easily match Liverpool‘s asking price for Darwin Nunez, but the Uruguay international is still waiting for a call from a European club after a recent Juventus enquiry.

Al Hilal are still looking for a centre-forward this summer after Victor Osimhen rejected a €30m-a-year contract offer in June.

Two Serie A clubs held Nunez talks

Simone Inzaghi’s side are strongly interested in Nunez and opened talks for the Uruguay international on June 6, as exclusively reported by Football Italia.

Napoli negotiated with Liverpool for several weeks earlier this summer but eventually picked Lorenzo Lucca from Udinese, while Juventus recently enquired about Nunez, but are now in talks with PSG to bring Randal Kolo Muani back to Turin.

Nunez waits for European clubs

The Liverpool striker is still waiting for offers from a European club, but Al Hilal would have no problem matching the Reds’ asking price.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell me that Nunez will wait for a few more days to see if any other interesting opportunities emerge from Europe.

Sassuolo, Torino and Verona have held talks with Venezia over their captain Jay Idzes who is valued at €10m.

Three Serie A clubs, Sassuolo, Verona and Torino, have held talks over a possible move for Venezia captain Idzes this summer.

Verona the first club to call Venezia for Idzes

Sources tell me that Verona were the first club to establish contact with Atalanta, while Sassuolo are interested in both Idzes and Fali Candé and have held talks for both defenders.

Torino held talks over Oristanio and Idzes

Torino have also spoken to Venezia in recent days. The Granata are long-time admirers of Gaetano Oristanio and while trying to reach an agreement over the transfer formula for the Italian striker, they have also mentioned Idzes in negotiations with Venezia.

Torino may have the funds to beat their competitors if Saul Coco quickly accepts an offer from Spartak Moscow,  but everything can still happen on the Idzes front, bearing in mind that Venezia value their captain at €10m.

Agent Kia Joorabchian might be having a bigger influence on the future of Douglas Luiz at Juventus than previously thought, giving his verdict on the Fenerbahce and Nottingham Forest proposals.

The representative was already making his presence felt in the Bianconeri transfer strategy just over a year ago, when he was in contact with them for Joshua Zirkzee, then asked Milan for inaccessible commissions, before finally re-routing the striker to Manchester United.

Now he is again at the centre of the debate around the future of Douglas Luiz, or rather he is one of two people involved, and they are not always in full agreement.

Douglas Luiz has been getting mixed advice

We don’t know who it was who advised the Brazilian to abandon the Juventus pre-season training camp, even if we have a few suspicions.

The fact remains that 10 days ago, Jose Mourinho had convinced Fenerbahce to make a proposal to Juventus after speaking directly to Douglas Luiz.

The Turkish club was ready to offer a well-paid loan with potential obligation to buy.

However, his agents reshuffled the whole situation, as evidently Turkey was not a destination that they appreciated, or they preferred a different formula to the transfer.

Juve are ready to open the door to an exit, as long as it is the right price to avoid losing more money compared to their investment for the former Aston Villa player.

They would even be prepared to accept a paid loan, ideally for two years with a guaranteed purchase at the end.

The Premier League remains the most likely destination, with Nottingham Forest leading the way, but so much depends on the interests of the agents involved every bit as much as the player.

Michel Aebischer is on his way to becoming a new player for Pisa, which will bring his three-and-a-half year spell with Bologna to an end. 

Aebischer on the verge of leaving Bologna for Pisa

As was initially reported in July, newly-promoted Pisa have made significant moves in an attempt to sign the 28-year-old, who is expected to leave Bologna this summer despite having another two years remaining on his contract, which runs until the summer of 2027. 

The deal has progressed smoothly, and with no further twists or turns expected, Aebischer should become a new Pisa player in time for the start of the 2025-26 season. 

The final details of the operation are now being finalised, and once that has happened, Aebischer will be announced as a new player for Pisa. 

The 32-time Switzerland international will leave the Rossoblu after a solid three years, which included an historic qualification to the Champions League in at the end of the 2023-24 season, and the club’s first ever Coppa Italia win at the end of 2024-25.

It was clear for all to see, if they wanted to see, that Atalanta would stand firm for Ademola Lookman, but that doesn’t mean he is not for sale, just at the right price. Does Inter want to meet it?

Only now are some finally understanding the situation, which is that Atalanta have not the slightest intention of parting with their star striker for €45m including add-ons.

Lookman price tag is no secret

It had been obvious for a while now, that Atalanta believe if they are to sell him, then the minimum price is €45m plus some pretty easy to activate bonuses worth €5m, taking the full figure to €50m.

What we’re seeing circulating in the media over the last few minutes since the rejection is also entirely meaningless, because it is totally false to suggest this means Lookman is off the market.

The Nigerian is absolutely for sale, just at the conditions set by Atalanta and nothing less, that’s all there is to it.

Now it remains to be seen if Inter, or anyone else, will meet those conditions.

Fiorentina remain interested in striking a deal for Parma midfielder Simon Sohm, and could potentially close a deal for a discounted price compared to the fee that they had been quoted at the start of the summer transfer window. 

Fiorentina circle back for Parma midfielder Sohm

La  Viola had already made an approach for the one-time Switzerland international at the start of July, but the situation is now changing. 

Football Italia understands that Parma have lowered their asking price from an initial fee of €20m plus add-ons. The feeling now is that a deal could potentially be closed for a fee in the region of €16m plus bonuses. At those terms, Fiorentina will be able to proceed. 

It is possible that representatives from the two clubs sit down to discuss the deal in the near future, potentially within the coming hours, in an attempt to establish terms and settle on a final agreement. 

Fiorentina had also looked at the possibility of bringing former Milan midfielder Frank Kessie back to Serie A after his recent experiences in the Saudi Pro League, but a deal for the Ivorian is complicated to pull off due to the extortionate salary that he earns with Al-Ahli.

Newly promoted Serie A side Pisa are in advanced talks over Fiorentina forward M’Bala Nzola, with the Viola open to discussing a loan deal with an option to buy.

Alberto Gilardino’s Pisa are in advanced talks with Fiorentina over Nzola, and the two clubs could find an agreement shortly.

Nzola close to joining Pisa

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell me that Pisa and Fiorentina could shake hands over the weekend or by Tuesday next week.

Pisa and Fiorentina are currently discussing the final details in the deal as the Viola have accepted to let the 28-year-old striker leave on an initial loan deal with an option to buy.

Fiorentina set new conditions for Nzola’s transfer to Pisa

Fiorentina no longer expect a temporary deal with an obligation to buy, but are happy to send Nzola to Pisa for a €1 m loan fee and an option to buy for circa €5/6m.

Negotiations between the two clubs also concern the salary Pisa will cover during Nzola’s loan spell in 2025-26.

A return to Ipswich Town is becoming an increasingly viable option for Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste, who spent the 2024-25 season on loan with the Tractor Boys during their Premier League campaign. 

Cajuste increasingly likely for Ipswich

Cajuste has been subject of interest from several clubs across the globe in recent weeks, albeit with a fair few unfeasible destinations included in that list. Besiktas are among the clubs to have made an approach, but an agreement with Cajuste was never reached. 

As Football Italia reported on July 7, Ipswich have also expressed an interest in bringing the Sweden international back to East Anglia. The player is keen on a return having enjoyed a relatively successful season on an individual level last term, despite it ending in relegation to the EFL Championship. 

Napoli are working on a deal for Cajuste’s departure. Football Italia understands that the Partenopei are seeking a loan deal for a fee, with a guarantee to buy at a later date. 

Negotiations will continue, the situation requires some patience, but Ipswich is becoming an increasingly viable option for Cajuste. 

Liverpool outcast Federico Chiesa has attracted interest from at least four Serie A clubs, but hasn’t yet received formal proposals from Italy.

Chiesa is expected to leave Liverpool this summer, but has yet to receive formal proposals from Serie A clubs.

Chiesa waiting for Serie A offers

Sources inform me that Napoli coach Antonio Conte considered Chiesa the best Italian winger only a few years ago, but, as of today, there is no certainty that the ex-Juventus winger will join the Italian tactician at the Stadio Maradona.

Napoli are still looking for a winger, but may change their strategy if they sign Miguel Gutierrez from Girona.

Four options for Chiesa in Serie A

Atalanta have sounded out the Italian winger’s availability, while Milan are covered in that position.

Roma could be an option for Chiesa after the Giallorossi chased the ex-Juventus star in one of the previous transfer windows, but currently, there are no offers on the table for the Italy international.

Chiesa joined Liverpool on a permanent deal from Juventus last summer, but only collected two goals and two assists in 14 appearances across all competitions in his debut season at Anfield.

• Read more – Why Italy needs Chiesa to leave Liverpool as soon as possible

As Napoli have resumed their interest in Girona full-back Miguel Gutierrez, the Partenopei also consider changing their transfer strategy, using part of their budget for a central midfielder rather than an attacking winger.

Napoli have resumed their interest in Girona left-back Gutierrez, and could send an offer in the region of €20m in the coming hours.

Napoli may change their transfer strategy if they sign Miguel Gutierrez

The 24-year-old is versatile as he can play as a left-back or as a left midfielder, and his characteristics may convince Napoli to change their transfer strategy, provided they secure a deal with Girona.

Given that Napoli are still looking for an attacking winger, but haven’t yet internally agreed on their preferred target, including Raheem Sterling, signing Gutierrez for circa €20m would allow the club to save part of their transfer budget, which would be re-invested in a central midfielder.

Napoli’s targets in central midfield

Juventus’ Fabio Miretti and Bologna’s Giovanni Fabbian are currently the two players monitored in the middle of the park.

We can confirm that Juventus and Milan were in direct talks today for Dusan Vlahovic, and that the striker wants to join the Rossoneri, so it is possible they could get a deal done for €15m plus bonuses.

August is the month where the Serbian and his club must make a decision to avoid more complicated situations going forward for all concerned.

The first contact was on June 7, there were more indirect talks on July 23, and we can add that today the two clubs spoke in a pretty concrete manner about this scenario.

Vlahovic has his heart set on Milan

We must track the situation one step at a time, so far there have not been any other proposals, but above all what Vlahovic wants is to join Milan.

Until he changes his mind, then we need to stick to this path.

It is true that Damien Comolli said Vlahovic will only leave at the conditions set by Juventus, but at the same time it is self-evident that it suits them to find a solution by the end of August or risk it getting very complicated.

A solution could be found midway between €10m and €20m, adding bonuses that are not difficult to activate and therefore pump up the fee.

A key could also be found for a middle ground on his salary, considering Juventus can pay to terminate early, but Milan are in no rush.