Football news

French midfielder of Milan Adrien Rabiot commented on the championship race in the Italian league.

«We have a strong team. Thanks to my mentality, I can motivate all my teammates to give their all, we have a wonderful team. The main thing is to stay close to first place, but there is a long way to go. From November to December, we have many matches ahead, including the Super Cup, which is one of our goals. By February, we will have a clear idea of how far we can go,» said Adrien Rabiot.

We add that after 11 rounds, Inter and Roma lead the standings, each with 24 points. Milan is in third position. The Rossoneri have gained 22 points.

41-year-old Fluminense defender Thiago Silva is considering the possibility of returning to Europe to end his playing career, staying closer to his family, who reside in England, Globo reports.

According to the source, the footballer will leave the club at the end of the season, even though his contract runs until June 2026. The Fluminense management wants to extend the agreement but understands the player’s personal desire.

The footballer does not rule out possible offers from Milan, which, according to the Italian press, is a potential contender for his transfer. The defender wants to end his career closer to his family, and for him, the main priority is that he can regularly visit his children, who play for Chelsea.

«Manchester United» talent Kobbie Mainoo is likely to leave «Old Trafford». According to Italian media reports, the 20-year-old midfielder is willing to continue the season with «Napoli».

The Italian champion is interested in loaning Mainoo during the January transfer window. A key factor for the potential move is the player’s desire to play alongside his former «Manchester United» teammates — Scott McTominay and Rasmus Højlund, who are already playing for «Napoli». The Neapolitan club is keen to swiftly secure the deal to strengthen its squad for defending the championship title in the second half of the season.

The Ukrainian defender of Trabzonspor, Arseniy Batagov, has attracted the interest of several clubs from Europe’s top leagues.

According to Taka Gazete, representatives from the English Championship—Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest—and two Italian Championship clubs—Lazio and Bologna—are ready to start official negotiations with Trabzonspor for the acquisition of Batagov shortly.

At the same time, it’s known that the Turkish club does not plan to release the defender now and will agree to negotiations if the offer amount is significantly higher than the market price.

Recall that Batagov has been playing for Trabzonspor since the summer of 2024.

The Ukrainian striker of «Roma» Artem Dovbyk shared his thoughts on the low productivity of strikers in the Ukrainian national team.

«It’s not that the defenders are holding us, but we have players in every position... I think now it’s not us being held, but others. They see that strikers aren’t scoring in the national team. I last scored against the Czech Republic about a year ago.

I want to score for the national team because it’s a completely different emotion, but we have what we have. I try not to focus on it and hope that in the next important matches, I will be able to contribute,» Dovbyk is quoted by the Telegram channel «Vzbіrna» with reference to «Football 360».

Atalanta is interested in acquiring the Ukrainian forward from Empoli, Bohdan Popov. This is reported by Tuttosport.

It is reported that Atalanta wants to reach an agreement with Empoli regarding the player’s transfer now, so that his move can be officially formalized in the summer of next year. The deal is estimated to be around 10 million euros.

Recall that Popov has scored 5 goals in 12 matches for Empoli this season.

Italian national team midfielder Manuel Locatelli commented on his team’s defeat in the qualifying match against Norway.

«We should have played better. We tried to score a second goal, but when Norway equalized, we became fragile. It shouldn’t be like this. In such moments, we need to maintain compactness. Now we have to wait for the draw for the playoffs and play differently in March, with determination. What happened today is not our true level,» UEFA’s press service quotes Locatelli.

Former AC Milan and Danish national team player Simon Kjær commented on Portuguese striker Rafael Leão.

«Rafael Leão can be one of the best in the world. Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or and Leão can be on the same level. He needs to improve by 1% a day. In my opinion, he won’t make it alone; few succeed alone. He needs a coach and a team to help him. He’s 26 years old, and by 29 it’ll be too late: either now or he won’t reach his potential,» Kjær told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Roma forward Artem Dovbyk does not plan to leave the Roman club in the near future, reports Corriere dello Sport.

“Dovbyk feels good in Rome and would like to stay. His family is well-settled, and although everyone misses Barcelona, the city where he lived while playing for Girona, no one intends to leave.

Next summer, Dovbyk will cost slightly less than 25 million euros: selling him for this amount could be easier for Roma. At the same time, the player will once and for all make it clear where he wants to continue his career.

Loaning is an option that does not currently convince Artem. Above all, he is looking for stability — for himself, but also for his loved ones. For this reason, he has told his agent that he is reluctant to consider a transfer in January, regardless of the offers. Spain, in any case, is and will remain his favorite destination,” the article states.

The Italian football club AC Milan has shown serious interest in Real Madrid’s Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and considers him a possible replacement for the French national team goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Lunin’s position in Madrid makes the transfer particularly realistic, writes Defensacentral.

During the club’s pause for national matches, Real Madrid is actively discussing the future of several players, and Andriy Lunin’s situation has once again become the focus of attention. The Ukrainian goalkeeper wasn’t called up to the national team and at the same time learned of Milan’s attempt to finalize his transfer.

The Italians have been trying to extend Maignan’s contract for several months, but there has been no progress. At Milan, they fear that the Frenchman will be able to freely negotiate with other clubs from January 1 and leave for free in the summer. Against this background, the Rossoneri are studying the market and see Lunin as a priority option.

The position of the Ukrainian in Real Madrid fuels the interest. Under Xabi Alonso, as well as his predecessor, Courtois remains the constant first choice, and Lunin hasn’t gained a single minute this season. Theoretical chances will only appear in the Copa del Rey, but this may not be enough to keep him at the club.

Milan’s problem lies in the terms of the contract: the agreement of the 26-year-old Ukrainian national team player with the Madrid club is valid until 2030. The Italian club hopes to spend a maximum of around 8−10 million euros, although this amount might not satisfy Real, which highly values the Ukrainian’s potential.

In Milan, they well remember Andriy’s brilliant campaign in the Champions League two seasons ago, when he replaced the injured Courtois and particularly shone in matches against Leipzig and Manchester City, saving two penalties in the series against the English. It is precisely this reputation that makes the Italians consider him a ready first-choice goalkeeper for the coming years.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is disappointed with the large number of matches his players are playing throughout the season.

«Rrahmani and Anguissa are injured. Domestic championships should not stop. We need fewer teams and matches. The championships should start in July and end in March so that national team games can be concentrated in a certain period. We pay the players, we should decide if they can play more games,» De Laurentiis is quoted by Tutto Napoli.

The Ukrainian goalkeeper of «Real» Andriy Lunin has attracted the interest of the Italian «Parma», reports Defensa Central.

According to the source, «Parma» is actively seeking a replacement for their main goalkeeper Suzuki, who is out for 4 months due to an injury.

The Italians approached «Real» with an official request to loan Lunin, but the Madrid club responded with a refusal. The «Galacticos» do not want to be left without a substitute for Courtois in the middle of the season, so they blocked this transfer.

It is worth recalling that Lunin’s current contract with «Real» is valid until 2030.