Cristiano Ronaldo pushes Juventus to sign Barcelona star for a world-record fee, PSG prepares massive €90 million bid for Juventus target and more Serie A transfer news: 5 May 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.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants Juventus to sign ter Stegen
The German shot-stopper has been one of the brightest performers in his position this season, arguably the second-best just behind Jan Oblak. An agile and highly consistent player who has lightning-quick reflexes, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been a massive bargain for Barcelona since joined from Monchengladbach for just €12 million in 2014.
He showcased his goalkeeping prowess once again when he kept a clean-sheet against in-form Liverpool side at Camp Nou. His excellent performances have reportedly attracted the attention of Ronaldo, who ultimately wants the Barcelona star to sign for Juventus.
The report even states that The Old Lady would be ready to offer €100 million for the Barcelona keeper. The transfer would see Ter Stegen break Kepa Arrizabalaga's record as the world's most expensive goalkeeper in history.
PSG prepares massive €90 million bid for Varane
The French defender has been subjected to numerous speculations recently with some reports state that he is willing to look for a new challenge. Despite having won virtually everything with Real Madrid, Varane is now set to end this season without a trophy at club level.
Juventus have considered him alongside other well-known defenders such as Samuel Umtiti and Matthijs de Ligt to rejuvenate the Old Lady's aging backline. However, a tough challenge has come for Juventus as PSG are set to become the new frontrunner to land the Real Madrid superstar.
The French outfit has reportedly prepared to splash a massive €90 million to prise the star away. Varane was influential for the French national team to secure the 2018 World Cup trophy as many consider him as one of the best in his position.
Ancelotti dropped massive hints over Lorenzo Insigne and Napoli transfer activity
Napoli head coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed that Insigne is set to stay at the club amid recent speculations. The Italian manager also offered some hints over possible arrivals such as Kieran Trippier, Nicolo Barella, and Hirving Lozano.
"We’re not evaluating players for next season, as those decisions have been made.”
“We’ve been planning the future for a while and it is a continual evolution. I don’t want to be a Coach in a more directorial role, as it would take up too much of my time and we have people dealing with all that. I don’t want to do anything other than be a Coach.
“We had this meeting with Insigne, who reiterated he wants to stay and extend his contract. We never wanted to sell him and the last week served to confirm all of that.”
There are very few tickets sold for this game, only around 10,000, as the Napoli ultras are protesting at what they deem to be poor results.
“In Italy, the fans are tied to the team, but not so much the directors or club owners. A fan ought to be focused on the colour of the jersey. For example, in England there are club owners from all over the globe, but the fans remain committed to the club colours.”
“I don’t like talking about players who are elsewhere. Trippier’s wife may well be here because it’s a beautiful city to visit. There are players we are evaluating, but there are negotiations, players who might not want to move, etc. There are players we are interested in and that’s all I’ll say.
“As for Nicolò Barella, he is a player we appreciate, but not one of those we are currently interested in. We want to improve the quality, intensity and experience in the squad. Nobody has told me they want to leave and we don’t need to chain anyone down.
“The tactical system will not change next season, so we’ll defend with a 4-4-2 and vary in attack depending on the situation, much as we have done this season,” he said.