Luke Phelps, Author at The Cult of Calcio

Roma opened their Serie A season with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against a stubborn Verona side

Roma Open Season with Uninspiring Goalless Draw In Verona

September 19, 2020 Luke Phelps Hellas Verona, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A

Roma opened their Serie A season with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against a stubborn Verona side. A clash between two top-half finishers from the previous campaign, Verona will be delighted with the point, but for Paulo Fonseca and Roma, it was a disappointing opener. The encounter could've had some fine goals but in the end nobody managed to find the back of the net.

Goals either side of half-time from Zlatan Ibrahimovich and Hakan Calhanoglu saw Milan beat Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League second-round qualifiers

No Luck for The Irish as Milan Ease Past Shamrock in Europa League

September 17, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Assi di Coppe, Europa League, European Cups One comment

Goals either side of half-time from Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hakan Calhanoglu saw Milan beat Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League second-round qualifiers tonight. Stefano Pioli handed competitive debuts to Brahim Diaz and Sandro Tonali but the pair had little time to strut their stuff as they helped their team on the way to a comfortable win in Ireland.

Napoli's Arek Milik has reportedly rejected a 5 million euro contract from Roma, bringing down a transfer trifecta in the Serie A

Latest Milik Drama Will Upset Many Parties – Napoli’s Most of All

September 15, 2020 Luke Phelps Calciomercato, Italian Football, Juventus, Napoli, Roma, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Napoli's Arek Milik has reportedly rejected a 5 million euro contract from Roma, bringing down a transfer trifecta in the Serie A. The plan was, or maybe still is; Milik, along with Juventus' Mattia De Sciglio to Roma, which would in-turn bring Roma's Edin Dzeko to Juventus. All three teams involved are seemingly still in need of one or two recruits ahead of the Serie A restart.

Milan seem close to pull off the signing of Federico Chiesa seemingly out of nowhere

Is Milan Revolution Set to Continue With Federico Chiesa Signing?

September 15, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Calciomercato, Fiorentina, Italian Football, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Fiorentina's Federico Chiesa is supposedly on the verge of completing a shock move to Milan, with the clubs having been "working quietly" to process the move. Stefano Pioli would beat the likes of Juventus, Inter, and Roma to the signing if they can pull it off - but where might Chiesa fit into the Rossoneri plans as they continue their revolution?

Lucas Paquetá has been outcasted by Stefano Pioli, and now Lyon are showing an interest in the midfielder. But would Milan be foolish to let him go?

Lucas Paquetá to Lyon – Would Milan Be Foolish to Let Him Go?

September 10, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Lyon, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Lucas Paquetá has been outcasted by Stefano Pioli, and now Lyon are showing an interest in the midfielder. But would Milan be foolish to let him go? The Brazilian arrived in Milan two years ago now. Joining from Flamengo, his arrivals excited a lot of fans, but two seasons on, and it looks as though the 23-year-old could be about to find a new home.

Saint-Etienne's Denis Bouanga is a wanted man and Atalanta now seem to be leading the race to sign him

Atalanta Front-Runners for Denis Bouanga as Milan Get Distracted

September 7, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Atalanta, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Saint-Etienne's Denis Bouanga is a wanted man. Up to five clubs have been touted with an interest in him this summer, but who's leading the race? All of Milan, Atalanta, and Roma have been linked with the Gabon international. Milan and Roma were the only Serie A outfits at first, but now Atalanta have been touted with an interest, and they might just win this one.

Rogerio is on the verge of completing a £12.5 million move from Sassuolo to Newcastle United

Rogerio To Newcastle: A Potential Sale Too Far For Sassuolo?

September 5, 2020 Luke Phelps Calciomercato, Italian Football, Premier League, Sassuolo, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Rogerio is on the verge of completing a £12.5 million move from Sassuolo to Newcastle United. He'd become the club's fifth sale of the summer already - but is it needless cashing in? Or yet more good business from Sassuolo? Given the world's situation right now, the Neroverdi might be inclined to sell but the potential sale of Rogerio may turn out to be risky.

Tottenham Hotspur's Serge Aurier looked to be the no.1 target for Milan last month

Milan Cool Interest in Aurier: Is Right-Back a Problem For Pioli?

September 4, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Calciomercato, Italian Football, Serie A, Serie A 2020-2021, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Tottenham Hotspur's Serge Aurier looked to be the no.1 target for Milan last month, but as interest cools in the Ivorian, should Stefano Pioli be happy with what he's already got? The right-hand side isn't one which necessarily needs bolstering, but instead one without a standout candidate. It'll be interesting to see who Pioli favors going into the new season.

Four Inter Players That Antonio Conte Needs To Sell

September 3, 2020 Luke Phelps Calciomercato, Inter Milan, Italian Football, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Next season is bound to be more prosperous at Inter with Antonio Conte now settling in with his side. Still, the coach has plenty of work to do in this amended pre-season. He'll no doubt be looking to recruit in time for next month, but he has some names that he'll have to offload as well. So here we look at four players that Conte should sell in this transfer market session.

Here’s Why Roma Should Re-Sign Smalling From Manchester United

September 3, 2020 Luke Phelps Calciomercato, Italian Football, Roma, Serie A, Stickers Swapping, Transfer Market

Chris Smalling is on the brink of leaving Manchester United for Roma, for the second season in-a-row. This time though, the move is set to be permanent. But why are Roma so keen to bring the 30-year-old back to Italy? Here we take a deeper dive into Chris Smalling's last season in Serie A, and uncover why the Englishman has become so important for Roma.

As his story in Barcelona seems to be coming to an end, Lionel Messi is all the headlines at the moment, be them footballing ones or not, and be them good or bad

A Bitter End to The Leo Messi – Barcelona Love Story

September 1, 2020 Luke Phelps Barcelona, Champions League, La Liga, Manchester City, Premier League, Serie A, Spanish Football, Transfer Market, Uncategorized

Messi is all the headlines at the moment, be them footballing ones or not, and be them good or bad. The Argentine needs no introduction. A six-time Ballon D'Or winner, four-time Champions League winner, and 10 La Liga titles to add to that. His and Barcelona's dominance of Europe has been a joy to watch, but now it seems to be coming to an end.

Donnarumma Is On Chelsea’s Radar – What Should Milan Do?

August 31, 2020 Luke Phelps AC Milan, Chelsea, Italian Football, Serie A, Uncategorized

In a bid to full the goalkeeping void in his Chelsea side, Frank Lampard is reportedly lining up a £50 million bid for Milan's Donnarumma. The goalkeeper is one of Europe's most underrated footballers, let alone goalkeepers. He arrived on the scene five years ago and became Milan's no.1, making his Serie A debut in the 2015/16 where he made 32 first-team appearances.

Author: Luke Phelps