Lionel Messi urges Barcelona to sign Juventus target, €150m-rated Serie A defender prefers Manchester United over PSG and more Serie A news: 4 May 2019
Hello and welcome to the Serie A news and rumours of the day! Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories of the day surrounding the Italian league
Lionel Messi wants Barcelona to snatch Leroy Sane
Leroy Sane seems to be not very happy with his current situation at Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has preferred Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva to spearhead City's attack in important games, thus leaving the former Schalke star on the bench.
The 23-year-old has also refused to extend his contract with Manchester City which further fuelled the speculation surrounding his future at the Etihad. Bayern Munich and Juventus are said to be interested in Sane, but a recent report states that Lionel Messi also wants Barcelona to go for the talented winger.
The Catalan giants are preparing a massive €90 million bid for the starlet, almost twice of what Manchester City paid for the player in 2016. Barcelona hope that Sane would complete their trident along with Luis Suarez and Messi.
Kalidou Koulibaly rejects PSG to join Manchester United
Kalidou Koulibaly has been subjected to numerous speculations recently and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be chasing the Napoli defender. The French outfit reportedly want the Senegalese star to replace the ageing Thiago Silva at the heart of their defense.
However, Manchester United are the frontrunners to secure his services, with the Red Devils also having prepared a massive €100 million for the 27-year-old. The report also states that Koulibaly is not keen on the idea of joining PSG and is instead interested in playing in the Premier League.
Napoli have played hardball over Koulibaly, with manager Carlo Ancelotti confirming last month that his price would be no less than €150 million, while chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis also seems reluctant to let the player go.
Skriniar give boost to Inter Milan over his future
Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar has been one of Serie A's most wanted centre-backs this season alongside Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.
However, the Slovakian, who has been heavilly linked with a move to Real Madrid, looks set to quash the speculation surrounding him by extending his contract with the Italian club.
"How much is missing for the renewal? Very little. I want to continue with Inter, I think my future is here. If rejected Real Madrid? I don't know where this rumour came from.
"Champions League? If we win three of the four remaining games, we will be there. We must start with a win against Udinese, which will be an important game for both sides.
"The captain's armband? I don't think about it, I just think about playing. It doesn't mean that with the captain's armband you change anything, there's an extra responsibility.
"Toughest striker I've faced? There are many and different players. Ronaldo, for example, is very fast. Then there are strikers who fight for every ball. This year, perhaps Dzeko has been the most difficult."