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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Fiorentina have learned that their UEFA Conference League play-off opponents will be either FC Polissya or Paksi FC later this month.

The Viola are participating in the competition for the fourth season in a row, having twice reached the Final, then the semi-final last term.

Once again, they must go through the play-off round before reaching the competition proper.

That will be played over two legs on August 21 and August 28.

Fiorentina path to the Conference League

UEFA held the Conference League play-off draw today, which decided that Fiorentina will face either FC Polissya or Paksi FC.

Polissya are a club side from Ukraine and Paksi hail from Hungary.

The two teams will face off first in another two-legged preliminary tie, on August 7 and 14, deciding who will go through for the next stage.

Fiorentina have the first leg away from home on August 21 and the return at the Stadio Franchi on August 28.

However, the venue for that home leg might be moved due to on-going restructuring work.

Newcastle United have reportedly resumed their pursuit of Malick Thiaw, but face two further hurdles from Milan, including a Premier League price hike.

It has been a rather difficult summer for the defender, who already rejected a transfer that had been agreed with Como, then seemed uninterested in the Magpies either.

He was determined to either remain and fight for his place under new coach Max Allegri at San Siro, or return to the Bundesliga.

Thiaw back on Newcastle United radar

Now transfer pundit Matteo Moretto claims via Fabrizio Romano’s YouTube channel that Newcastle United are back asking after his availability.

There are two big problems that have developed since the first approach, though.

The first is that Thiaw has impressed Allegri during pre-season training and Milan are not quite as eager to sell as they had been previously.

The other, as pointed out by MilanNews, is that Premier League clubs have a reputation for spending big and therefore the asking price is boosted when doing business with them.

It means the €25m offer from Como that had been accepted by the Rossoneri, but not by the player, is no longer sufficient.

If Newcastle United want to do a deal, they are going to have to pay around €35m instead.

That money could then be used to reinvest in Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, who would cost around €40m.

The Alvaro Morata saga might finally be coming to an end with reports Como intervened to offer €3m to Galatasaray, helping to break the Milan loan impasse.

The striker agreed personal terms almost two months ago and has been increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress for this return to Serie A.

The problem is that he joined Galatasaray on loan in January for €6m with an obligation to buy in January 2026 for a further €8m.

Galatasaray want Morata golden handshake payment

Now the Turkish team is demanding a big payment to interrupt that agreement, release him back to Milan so that he can then join Como.

According to Calciomercato.com, the breakthrough can be achieved if Como help Milan to pay that penalty, so President Mirwan Suwarso is stepping in to propose €3m.

That can reduce Milan’s payment to just €5-6m so that everyone can be satisfied with the outcome.

Como coach Cesc Fabregas is eager to work with Morata, who turns 33 in October and brings valuable experience to what is otherwise a largely young team.

Milan had only purchased the Spaniard from Atletico Madrid for €13m in July 2024.

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli reportedly have an agreement in place for the signing of VfB Stuttgart attacking midfielder Enzo Millot, which could steer Atletico Madrid towards the signing of Italy international Giacomo Raspadori from Napoli. 

According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Al-Ahli have verbal agreements with both Millot and Stuttgart, despite previous links with Atleti and Premier League side Tottenham. 

EXCLUSIVE: Al Ahli agree deal to sign Enzo Millot from Stuttgart, here we go!

Surprise move to hijack Atlético Madrid deal, despite Spurs links Millot will play for Al Ahli.

Verbal agreement done on player/club side. Board and coach Jaissle with huge effort on this one. pic.twitter.com/JvMP6xJjPT

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2025

What Millot deal means for Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Raspadori

As Atletico are now expected to miss out on the signing of the 23-year-old, reports indicate that their attention will revert to a different target in Raspadori. The Italy international, along with Millot and Juventus’s Nico Gonzalez, have been mentioned in recent reports as potential attacking additions for Diego Simeone’s side. 

According to updates from Calciomercato.com, Raspadori’s have recently travelled to Spain to hold discussions with Atletico Madrid. 

Curiously, Raspadori is managed by TMP Soccer, the same agency as compatriot Matteo Ruggeri, who has also joined Atletico Madrid in a permanent deal this summer after well over a decade with Atalanta. 

With Millot out of the picture, Atletico are expected to push forwards with an attempt to sign Raspadori, according to Calciomercato’s report. 

Napoli, meanwhile, have no real intention to sell, but could reportedly be tempted by offers in the region of €35m.

Atalanta CEO Luca Percassi has confirmed that the club have an agreement to allow Ademola Lookman to leave this summer, but not for teams within Serie A, which further complicates proceedings with Inter, who had a reasonable bid for the Nigeria international rejected last week. 

Lookman has come to blows with Atalanta after seeing an offer of €45m including bonuses from Inter turned down by his current employers. 

The 27-year-old has since posted a long statement on Instagram, claiming that there was an agreement to allow him to leave this summer, and accusing the club of treating him poorly “as a human being and as a professional footballer.” 

• Read more: How Lookman came to blows with Atalanta

Lookman has also confirmed that he has submitted a formal transfer request in an attempt to leave Atalanta. 

Percassi confirms: Two conditions for Lookman to leave Atalanta

Dea CEO Percassi has since had an opportunity to share his version of events while speaking to the media at the introductory press conference for new Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello. 

Percassi told the press that there is an agreement to let Lookman leave this summer, but with two important conditions: First being that it is to a ‘top’ European club, and the second being that that club is outside Serie A. 

“It’s a good opportunity to clarify what happened,” Percassi told the media, via TMW. 

“Last year, after a 20 million offer from PSG, the player had asked us to be sold. 

“Atalanta, being a credible club, had promised to sell the player this window based on two conditions that he himself had asked of us: First, to go to a super, top European club, and that he would never be seen in Italy wearing a shirt other than Atalanta’s, given what he did for the club and what he received from the club.

“Today, as you know, the situation is very different. The club is always careful when evaluating the value and timing of its players, but as always, it is Atalanta, the club, that decides.” 

Various outlets in Italy are reporting that Roma are attempting to close a surprise deal for 20-year-old Legia Warsaw defender Jan Ziolkowski, who has also been linked with a move to join fellow Serie A side Udinese. 

Reports Roma closing in on Ziolkowski deal

The Giallorossi are in contact with representatives from Legia Warsaw to discuss a deal for the Poland U20 international, according to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio. 

Updates confirm that Roma will speak with Legia Warsaw again on Monday afternoon in an attempt to close a deal for the promising young centre-back. 

Fabrizio Romano reports that Udinese are also among the clubs interested in signing Ziolkowski this summer, but Di Marzio claims that the proposal from Kosta Runjaic’s side has since been turned down. 

Stood at 6’4 in height, Ziolkowski is a traditional centre-back, and is coming in off the back of his first full season in senior football, during which he made 28 appearances across all competitions for the Legia first team.

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.