Juventus interested in Barcelona defender, Paul Pogba willing to return to Juve and more Serie A news: 5 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.
Sampdoria president ready to let AC Milan-linked Marco Giampaolo leave
Marco Giampaolo guided his Sampdoria side to a respectable ninth place finish, following the conclusion of 2018-19 Serie A campaign.
He is now the most likely candidate to replace Gennaro Gattuso, who recently parted ways with AC Milan.
And Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has revealed that the club are ready to release Giampaolo if the manager desires a fresh challenge elsewhere.
“I did see and speak to the Coach. He has a one-year contract with us and is now on vacation, but we’ll meet on Monday and understand if our paths will continue together.
“If we do continue, I’ll be happy. If he wants to go elsewhere, I cannot hold back someone who doesn’t love Sampdoria and does not want to stay in my club.”
Former Fiorentina boss Stefano Pioli is expected to be Giampaolo's replacement at Sampdoria if he leaves the club, but Ferrero refused to take any names.
“I won’t name names, as I am not seeking anyone. Others seek us out. It would be unfair to talk about other Coaches, as Giampaolo might want to stay. You’d have to ask me on Tuesday.
“If Milan want Giampaolo, they’d need to call me. They haven’t called me, and they ought to. After all, the seventh commandment says thou shalt not desire another man’s woman, so they ought to call me.”
Paul Pogba willing to come back to Juventus
Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United is still uncertain. Critics have slammed him time and again due to his inconsistent displays, despite the midfielder scoring 13 goals and providing nine assists in the Premier League last season.
The World Cup winner, who arrived from Juventus three years ago for a then-world record fee, could soon depart Old Trafford. According to several reports, Juventus are keen to bring the 26-year-old back to Turin.
Maurizio Sarri, who could take charge of Juventus this summer, has also given the green light for the move, which would cost the Serie A champions around £120 million. The report further states that Pogba, who is also on the radar of Real Madrid, is willing to make his Turin comeback a reality.
Juventus interested in Barcelona defender
It is no secret that the right-back spot has been a problematic area for Barcelona as manager Ernesto Valverde has often switched between Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo to fill the position. However, Roberto seems more comfortable playing as a midfielder rather than a defender.
Semedo, on the other hand, has starved for game time since joining Barcelona. The Portuguese star has started just 37 times in La Liga in his two seasons at Barcelona. And according to a report, Lionel Messi has even pushed Barcelona to sign another right-back which has infuriated the former Benfica star.
Now, the 25-year-old is said to have asked the club to let him go. Juventus are among the teams interested in his services. The Old Lady will most likely want Semedo to replace Joao Cancelo, who is on the radar of Manchester United and Manchester City.