Real Madrid to sell Napoli target James on cut-price to fund Pogba move, President hints at €80 M sale of Milinkovic amid Manchester United interest and more, 22 July 2019
Hello and welcome to the Serie A news and rumours of the day! As usual, there are many exciting stories from the rumour mill to read. So, let's take a look at the top stories of the day surrounding the Italian top flight.
Real Madrid ready to sell Napoli target James on cut-price to land Paul Pogba
Real Madrid are surprisingly willing to land another big name, although the club have splashed more than €300 million on players. The Los Blancos have signed prominent stars such as Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Ferland Mendy, just a year after Cristiano Ronaldo left the club.
However, Spanish newspaper Marca revealed that the La Liga outfit are still keen on Manchester United's Paul Pogba. Madrid's Pogba interest could be good news for Napoli. The report further states that Real Madrid are set to sell Napoli target James Rodriguez for a cut-price of €40 million to fund Pogba transfer.
SSC Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis previously expressed his frustration with James transfer after Real Madrid asked €42 million for the midfielder. Now, the slight discount might speed up the negotiation between interested parties.
Carlo Ancelotti has recently confirmed that Napoli are yet to give up on the transfer. The Italian manager also admitted that he is very interested in the Colombian.
“I’m not aware of a deal with Atletico,” the Napoli boss said.
“We’re still talking for James, a player that I really like. I’m very attached to James, I rate him very highly, and he can certainly improve our team."
“He doesn't need to re-announce himself; he’s a great player. But he’s not the only player we’re openly negotiating. We’re assessing many players."
James is yet to decide on his future after Bayern Munich refused to trigger his €42 million buyout option. Paul Pogba, on the other hand, would cost Real Madrid more than €150 million. Hence, the Los Blancos will need to sell more players in addition to James.