Teams are warming up ahead of the championship season, but during pre-season training camps and international tours the phone is the most used object — even more than the ball — as the transfer market is also heating up, with sudden departures and arrivals beginning to become more frequent. At Inter, the signing of John STONES is about to be made official: the experienced former Manchester City player will arrive in Milan tomorrow on a free transfer to strengthen the defence, while the club awaits progress on the ROMERO front — the Nerazzurri's primary target, though prising him away from Tottenham will not be easy.
One of the day's moves concerns French player Sankhoun DIAWARA, signed from Troyes to strengthen AC Milan's defence and officially becoming the club's third signing of the summer, after Gonzalo Ramos and Mario Gila.
From Australia, reports are emerging about the situation of Rafa LEÃO, with manager Amorim considering him part of his plans. However, interest from Turkish clubs looking to bring him to the Süper Lig continues, though their offers are currently far from meeting the demands of either the player or the Milanese club.
Other Milan forwards are frequently mentioned as potential departures from Milanello, particularly following the arrival of the new Portuguese striker — chief among them Santiago GIMENEZ. The Mexican could interest Lazio, who are in search of a striker, although Gattuso's side have also been linked with Spanish forward Carlos ESPÌ, who is attracted to the Premier League, and Armando BROJA, who could make the move to Rome from England. The same route could be taken by a former Milan player, Niclas FÜLLKRUG, who has returned to West Ham but is reportedly ready to try his luck in Serie A. Nothing doing, however, for Danish defender Noah MARKMANN, the young Nordsjælland player who has turned down an offer from the Biancocelesti.
Juventus, meanwhile, have announced the sale of Lois OPENDA: the Belgian striker joins Lyon on loan until 30 June 2027 "in exchange for a fee of €3.5 million", as specified by the Turin club, who have reportedly entered the race to sign Bosnian striker Kerim ALAJBEGOVIC, owned by Bayer Leverkusen but coveted in Italy also by Napoli and Atalanta, as well as Roma — though the latter have just pulled off a significant coup with the signing of Santiago CASTRO.
At Torino, following the COMUZZO deal with Fiorentina, the signing of Eray COMERT is also done: the Swiss defender, born in 1998, has arrived in Turin for his medical. The club is working to strengthen its midfield as well, with a strong lead on Dutch player Kian FITZ-JIM. Parma have signed Ousmane DIALLO, a 19-year-old left winger taken from Borussia Dortmund, while Bologna have landed another young talent, Argentine midfielder Mikel AMONDARAIN from Estudiantes. Cagliari are close to completing the signing of a young Italian player, defender Raphael KOFLER from Südtirol.
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