Enrico Passarella, Author at The Cult of Calcio

The Milan midfield is still reeling from the loss of Sandro Tonali, who was sold to Newcastle United for a boatload of money last summer.

Tonali Doesn’t Exclude Reunion with Milan Down the Line

September 20, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Newcastle United, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Sandro Tonali was well-received in his San Siro return following the summer transfer to Newcastle United. The midfield refused to rule out a potential return in the future: “It was nice from the first to the last second. I’ll always remember this night."

Manuel Locatelli is among the several Juventus players that could get an extension in the coming months. He’s already tied to the team until 2026.

Juventus Star Likely to Re-Up After Getting Summer Bids

September 20, 2023 Enrico Passarella Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Brighton, Bundesliga, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Manuel Locatelli is among the several Juventus players that could get an extension in the coming months. He’s already tied to the team until 2026. The management is plotting to add one extra year to his deal. His salary is in the middle of the pack team-wise. He earns €3M per year.

Inter and Lautaro Martinez expressed their desire to reach an agreement on a contract extension in the last few weeks.

Lautaro Martinez Touches on Potential Inter Extension

September 20, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez replied to a question about his future in the pre-game presser ahead of the Champions League encounter against Real Sociedad: "“You never know in football, but I can say that I’m very happy to be here, wear the armband, and defend these colors and fans."

Roma are likely to remain undermanned for the first game of the Europa League group stage against Sheriff Tiraspol as Pellegrini and Mancini are hurt.

Roma Duo Improving but Won’t Be Rushed Back from Injury

September 20, 2023 Enrico Passarella Europa League, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A

Roma are likely to remain undermanned for the first game of the Europa League group stage against Sheriff Tiraspol. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Chris Smalling are set to stay on the mend due to their muscular injuries, even though they practiced somewhat regularly on Tuesday.

Carlo Ancelotti is well familiar with the problems that come with working at Napoli and under Aurelio De Laurentiis and has backed Rudi Garcia.

Garcia Shares His Thoughts About Slow Start by Napoli

September 20, 2023 Enrico Passarella Champions League, Italian Football, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024

Rudi Garcia acknowledged the subpar recent results by his team but downplayed the difficulties ahead of the Champions League clash with Real Sociedad: "“We’re fifth. We wanted to do better, but we’re only at the start of the season. In my opinion, we bungled just two halves so far."

Inter are gearing up for their Champions League debut versus Real Sociedad, hoping to replicate last season’s run to the final.

Inter in the Hunt for Another Sizeable UCL Pay Day

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella Champions League, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A

Inter are gearing up for their Champions League debut versus Real Sociedad, hoping to replicate last season’s run that saw them reach the final and lose to Manchester City. Despite the costly defeat, going far had major financial benefits and helped them out immensely in the transfer market.

Roma held preliminary contacts with powerful agent Jorge Mendes to inquire about Porto’s fullback Joao Mario. They could make an attempt in January.

Roma Show Some Interest in Talented Porto Fullback

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Italian Football, Porto, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market, Union Berlin

Roma held preliminary contacts with powerful agent Jorge Mendes to inquire about Porto’s fullback Joao Mario. They could make an attempt in January if the price was right. He’s tied to his team until 2027, and they are an expensive boutique. He emerged two seasons ago.

Ciro Immobile is changing his mind and, after welcoming the Saudi courtship in previous months, he’d like to stay put at Lazio to redeem himself.

Coach Inzaghi Advised Inter to Go After Lazio Legend

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Lazio, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Inter thought about Ciro Immobile in the early stages of the transfer market after the collapse of the negotiation to bring back Romelu Lukaku. Simone Inzaghi wanted a proven goal poacher and suggested his old acquaintance, but Claudio Lotito asked for a high sum.

Ex-Milan sporting director Ricky Massara touched base with the Roma brass before the game against Empoli. He's a free agent.

Former Milan Executive Meets with Roma Higher-Ups

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Ex-Milan sporting director Ricky Massara touched base with the Roma brass before the game against Empoli. The official, who already worked in the Italian capital on separate occasions, is looking for a new team after being ousted by Milan. The reports differ depending on the source.

Juventus and Chelsea negotiated a swap between Dusan Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku for a couple of weeks during the summer, but it didn't happen.

Chelsea and Pochettino Voted Against Signing Vlahovic

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Chelsea, Italian Football, Juventus, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Juventus and Chelsea negotiated a swap between Dusan Vlahovic and Romelu Lukaku for a couple of weeks during the summer. It ultimately didn’t come to fruition. The Blues were reluctant to meet the counterparty’s request. Technical reservations about the Serb led to the demise of the proposed deal.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan dominated in the Derby, scoring twice and dishing an assist, and has held on the starting job in the early going.

Inter in Advanced Talks to Prolong Contract of Veteran

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market

Henrikh Mkhitaryan dominated in the Derby, scoring twice and dishing an assist, and has held on the starting job in the early going despite their new pieces in the midfield, primarily Davide Frattesi. He’s a trusted lieutenant of Simone Inzaghi and a true coach on the pitch thanks to his savviness.

Atalanta bested a few Serie A contenders to acquire Gianluca Scamacca from West Ham last summer. He commenced with a bang.

Atalanta More Assertive than Rivals in Scamacca Deal

September 19, 2023 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Atalanta, Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2023-2024, Transfer Market, West Ham

Atalanta bested a few Serie A contenders to acquire Gianluca Scamacca from West Ham last summer. He commenced with a bang by bagging a brace versus Monza in the penultimate round. He was also on Inter and Milan’s radar. He's expected to miss time with an injury, though.

Author: Enrico Passarella