Barcelona prepared to pay €100m for Juventus-linked starlet, Real Madrid ready to sell Juve target and more Serie A news: 1 June 2019
Hello and welcome to the Serie A news and rumours of the day! As we head even closer to the summer transfer market, let's take a look at the top stories of the day surrounding the Italian league.
Napoli president confirms new right-back signing
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed the acquisition of Empoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo.
The 26-year-old star put in several impressive performances for Empoli throughout the 2018-19 campaign, scoring five goals and providing three assists.
He will most likely replace Elseid Hysaj, who has recently confirmed his Napoli exit.
Although De Laurentiis was happy with the acquisition of Di Lorenzo, he explained that Napoli are still on the lookout for a striker.
“Di Lorenzo is the first gift for Ancelotti. He is an excellent full-back, is still young at 26 and a very good buy.
"I like that players who come from what might seem like minor clubs end up having a greater sense of responsibility and effort, because they have to fight to the end and not talk too much.
“What we need to do now is find a great striker, at the top level. However, we’ll only get him if it’s the right one, so we’ll make an effort to sign him, but not if he doesn’t convince me.”
Real Madrid open to selling Juventus target for €70 million
Isco endured a difficult 2018-19 campaign with Real Madrid. Los Blancos appointed three different managers throughout the last campaign, but the Spanish midfielder still ended up starving for game time in the end.
The 27-year-old only managed to start 11 times in La Liga, scoring three goals and providing two assists. Everyone is aware of Isco's enormous talent, but unfortunately, the former Malaga star's career can be as good as over at Real Madrid when Eden Hazard arrives at the Bernabeu.
He even struggled to fight for a place in the squad against the likes of Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio. As a result, the under-fire star has attracted interest from several top clubs, including Juventus. The Old Lady have been chasing the midfielder for some time now.
The link between the Serie A champions and Isco has become even stronger since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Juventus last summer. A recent report now states that Real Madrid are open to the idea of selling Isco for around €70 million.
Barcelona ready to launch €100 million bid for Juventus-linked star
Benfica star Joao Felix has garnered attraction from numerous top clubs, following his impressive performances this season. The 19-year-old, who became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League, found the back of the net 15 times in the Portuguese league.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are said to have offered €80 million and €85 million respectively for the Portuguese sensation. Los Blancos are also willing to loan Felix to Benfica for one season if the Portuguese club accept their offer. However, Barcelona are reportedly willing to splash €100 million for Felix which would outbid the Madrid duo.
Felix has also been very closely linked with Juventus, and a report even stated that Cristiano Ronaldo is keen to work together with his fellow countryman in Turin.