Former Inter captain Mauro Icardi is happy at Galatasaray, but his contract expires at the end of the season, and the new club management hasn’t yet offered him a new deal.

Ex-Inter star Icardi is waiting for a contract offer from his club, Galatasaray, as his deal expires at the end of the season.

His contract extension, however, is not guaranteed as the new club management hasn’t yet made a formal proposal. It’s not even guaranteed that the matter will be discussed in the coming weeks, so Icardi keeps waiting professionally.

Predictably, Icardi will wait until December, but then he’ll consider possible offers from other clubs, given that he’ll become available as a free agent with just six months left in his contract.

There’s always high interest in the Argentine striker, especially if he were to leave Galatasaray on a free transfer.

As of today, Icardi is in no hurry. The 32-year-old is in no rush and has given priority to Galatasaray, but negotiations with his club are stalling.

Alphadjo Cisse has been a key figure for US Catanzaro in the early stages of the 2025-26 season, and is beginning to attract the interest of Serie A title hopefuls Roma, Football Italia understands. 

Roma keen on Verona-owned teenager

Cisse, who joined Catanzaro on loan from Hellas Verona over the summer, has impressed with his performances and impressive technical ability in Serie B, which has brought a return of four goals from his first nine matches in the second tier. 

The 19-year-old is still owned by Verona, and could potentially become a key player in one of the upcoming transfer windows, likely this summer. 

As was originally reported by Lorenzo Canicchio, Roma are evaluating a potential move for Cisse. He is a profile that Gasperini admires, and given the coach’s previous track record in developing young prospects, could be an ideal fit. 

Representatives from Roma met with Cisse’s entourage in Trigoria a few days ago. While it is too soon to make any definitive conclusions, it is understood that the Giallorossi will continue to monitor Cisse’s development with a strong interest.

Raffaele Palladino was not a genuine candidate for the Juventus job as Luciano Spalletti was always the Bianconeri’s priority, given that Damien Comolli met an intermediary close to the ex-Italy coach before the game against Lazio.

Juventus are set to appoint Spalletti as their new coach, having reached an agreement with the Italian tactician on Tuesday.

Palladino was a serious candidate for Juventus

Despite reports, Palladino was never a serious candidate for the Juventus job as the Bianconeri’s first option was always the ex-Italy coach.

Sources with direct knowledge of the matter tell me that an intermediary very close to Spalletti met with Juventus director Damien Comolli in Rome on Saturday, before Igor Tudor’s eventual final game in charge of the Old Lady, against Lazio.

It is also not confirmed that a part of the Juventus dressing room pushed for the appointment of Palladino, so the ex-Fiorentina and Monza coach is now waiting for a new chance.

The former striker has already rejected some offers from foreign clubs and could turn out to be a regret for Atalanta, who picked Ivan Juric instead of him in the summer.

Atalanta are still unbeaten in Serie A, but have collected seven draws in nine games.

Luciano Spalletti is ready to put pen to paper at Juventus, but the decisive element was his acceptance of a contract to June with automatic renewal for Champions League qualification.

As we had explained already, Spalletti was always the first choice for the job after the club decided to pull the plug on Igor Tudor not even three months into the season.

Roberto Mancini had already been on the outskirts from yesterday and was never really a Plan B, while Raffaele Palladino was only kept warm as an alternative in case the negotiations didn’t go well.

Spalletti only ever the first choice for Juventus

The former Italy boss was always the main focus and only an extraordinary change of strategy would see them drift away from that candidacy.

Today was delicate and the meeting with Spalletti laid the groundwork for the agreement, confirming it was never really a two-horse race.

Ultimately, what we suggested yesterday afternoon may well prove to be decisive, because he immediately accepted the proposal of a contract until June, with option for automatic renewal for another season in case of Champions League qualification.

Once that hurdle was out of the way, he was always leading the race and just hurtling towards the signature.

Aaron Martin has lost some of the visibility he previously had in recent matches, despite an undeniably high level of performance.

Many have linked this situation to his contract expiring in June.

Genoa push for Aaron Martin renewal

Genoa want to resolve the matter as soon as possible, in order to avoid the risk of losing the 1997-born left-back on a free transfer.

As we reported back on June 10, Martin’s profile is greatly appreciated by Lazio, and there have already been inquiries to understand the position of the Spanish specialist.

At the moment Lazio cannot make moves in the market, but in the future several issues will need to be defined (starting with Tavares), and the club will continue to monitor Martin. In the meantime, Genoa will continue to push for a renewal, as we have now entered an increasingly delicate phase.

The 28-year-old signed for Genoa in 2023 from Bundesliga outfit Mainz and has since made close to 70 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Luciano Spalletti has made it clear this is not a matter of salary or contract length. During the meeting with Juventus, after the contacts we reported already yesterday afternoon, Spalletti reaffirmed his strong desire to take charge in Turin.

He is open to every formula: a deal until June with a two-year option, or a straight contract until 2027. The idea of reaching the club’s minimum target of Champions League qualification and then being one year away from expiry does not concern him now; that would be a matter to evaluate later.

Spalletti wants Juventus & Juventus want Spalletti

Spalletti is convinced that through his work he can put the ship back on course after the recent wrecks.

Now, the next move belongs to Damien Comolli and his timing. One could say that after dismissing a coach, the club should already have the replacement ready.

But Comolli identified Spalletti as his target since Saturday, the eve of the defeat to Lazio, and it is up to him to assess the financial side of the operation.

There is no doubt inside the club regarding Spalletti being the most suitable candidate to pull Juventus from this situation. From this point, it is simply a matter of moving from theory to execution.

Palladino remains plan B for Juventus

Raffaele Palladino remains the plan B only in the case of sudden changes of direction, second thoughts or unforeseen developments in the coming hours.

From yesterday afternoon onward, Roberto Mancini has been removed even as a plan C, not just as plan B. The expectation now is to finalise talks with the man who has always been the first choice.

It is surprising to see Juventus signings Jonathan David and Loïs Openda suddenly being written off as “flops”, when they are clearly nothing of the sort.

And if someone wanted to say it, it would have been more credible to do so on September 2nd – not at the end of October. What is certain, however, is that those two, especially those two, were the core of the disagreement between Tudor and Comolli.

The coach had pushed to keep Kolo Muani, both for tactical continuity and because his adaptation to the system was already complete. Instead, he did not appreciate the repeated delays in negotiations, accepted David without enthusiasm, almost endured Openda’s arrival, and expressed strong doubts about Zhegrova.

Juventus expected summer signings to flourish

Once Comolli had acted, the club expected those investments, significant investments, to be valued, rather than constant tactical resets and formation changes born out of improvisation.

The change of coach at Juventus is not only about stopping the negative run of three consecutive defeats and four games without scoring. It must also redirect the club’s transfer strategy.

That does not mean forcing the new manager to rely blindly on the attackers signed in July and August. But it also cannot mean discarding them on principle or using them without a clear and coherent plan.

Luciano Spalletti is the name at the top of Juventus’s shortlist of potential replacements for Igor Tudor, who was dismissed from his role as head coach on Monday, and Football Italia can reveal that there has now been direct contact between the Bianconeri and the former Italy national team head coach. 

Juventus parted company with Tudor on Monday morning following a run of eight games without a win in any competition and a run of four matches without scoring a goal. The Croatian’s final match in charge ended in a 1-0 defeat away against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening. 

Juventus in direct contact with Spalletti

The latest news is that there has now been direct contact between Spalletti and representatives from Juventus. An intermediary is involved and the club approve of the decision to move forwards in negotiations with Spalletti. 

Spalletti has given his full availability to taking over at Juve, and is seeking an 18-month contract. He would, however, be willing to accept a deal until the end of the 2025-26 season with an option to extend for a further year. 

Other coaches who have been linked with the job, namely Raffaele Palladino and Roberto Mancini, remain alternative options for the Old Lady for now. 

Juventus are hoping to close a deal with Spalletti, but they still need to reach an agreement.

Juventus have already informed Igor Tudor that he’ll be sacked, but the coach’s destiny has been written since the start of October.

Juventus have decided to sack their coach Tudor, and the club directors have already informed the Croatian tactician. An official statement in the coming hours will formally put an end to Tudor’s reign, which began in March 2025 and ended with three consecutive losses against Como, Real Madrid and Lazio.

Tudor’s situation was already clear

The situation at Juventus has been clear since October 6, when I reported that, without tactical clarity, the coach would pay a high price.

This is exactly what happened today, as Juventus have not even waited for the next Serie A match against Udinese on Wednesday.

Tudor doesn’t pay just for lack of results

Juventus’ poor results and the lack of trust in new summer signgins have made the difference in determining the coach’s fate.

Tudor took charge of 24 Juventus matches across all competitions, grabbing 10 wins, eight draws and six losses.

Elia Caprile proved once again today that he is a great goalkeeper and Cagliari made a wise decision demanding at least €18m to sell in the summer, as now he’ll be worth more.

The shot-stopper made some more incredible saves in the 2-2 draw against Hellas Verona today at the Stadio Bentegodi, keeping his team in the game for their late comeback against the run of play.

Cagliari President Tommaso Giulini had bought him outright from Napoli for €8m and the idea was to sell, but only if a big offer came along, just like the one they accepted from Fiorentina for Roberto Piccoli.

Impressive Caprile will cost the big clubs

Caprile was given a price-tag of no less than €15-18m to even consider a transfer, and as nobody turned up with that kind of money, Giulini was happy to keep the goalkeeper.

His performances have been remarkable so far this season, as not a week goes by without some extraordinary saves hitting the headlines, and his consistency is so impressive.

Caprile only celebrated his 24^th birthday a couple of months ago, and it’s easy to assume the step up to the next level has only been delayed a little bit.

Now a few big clubs have already set their sights on a goalie who is destined to be a protagonist in the next transfer sessions.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic had been linked with a return to Serie A, above all for Juventus, but the ex-Lazio midfielder has renewed his contract with Al-Hilal.

The official announcement came from the Saudi Pro League side today, confirming what had been reported by our Sportitalia colleague Gianluigi Longari on October 17, who knew the rumours of an Italian comeback were unlikely to come true.

Milinkovic-Savic always a tough candidate for Juventus

It would’ve been a tough move to make work for a number of reasons, none more so than the head-spinning salary the Serbian commands at Al-Hilal.

He has also been reunited at the club with coach Simone Inzaghi, who had already worked with him closely during their time together at Lazio.

 

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Milinkovic-Savic was one of the first to truly believe in the ambitious projects in Saudi Arabian football, and the investments continue to keep building those plans.

Juventus did have a real chance of tempting him before the move to Al-Hilal was made, but had to surrender when faced with the sheer figures on offer.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa has proven, once again, that he has become a giant for Napoli, not only with his crucial goal against Inter on Saturday evening, but also through his performances, showing that he can flex his muscles and walk the walk. 

Napoli got it spot on with Anguissa

The Cameroon international was on the scoresheet, restoring Napoli’s two-goal lead in their 3-1 victory over Inter on Saturday evening, which has sent the Partenopei back up to the top of the Serie A standings after eight matches. 

Anguissa, towards the end of last season, had a moment of hesitation, considering potential opportunities elsewhere after having helped Napoli to two Scudetti within the last three years. 

In the end, his desire was to stay on with Napoli, where he has proved himself as a key player under Antonio Conte, despite the arrivals of Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne over the last two years. 

And so, his contract was extended, and is now set to expire in 2027. This was the perfect outcome for Napoli, and it comes as a reward for Anguissa’s unquestionably key performances over the last few seasons. 

Anguissa is becoming an increasingly key figure within Partenopei circles, and a renewal could not have been any more appropriate. 

Lorenzo Lucca would be Rasmus Hojlund’s natural replacement, but Antonio Conte might pick David Neres against Inter, while Nerazzurri forward Ange-Yoan Bonny has proved to be a perfect backup to Marcus Thuram.

Napoli and Inter meet at the Stadio Maradona today, but Partenopei and Nerazzurri come to this game in very different forms.

Napoli have lost the last two games across all competitions, while Inter have grabbed seven consecutive wins.

Lucca has failed to impress this season

Strikers’ form is also creating a debate ahead of the game, given that Antonio Conte has tried David Neres as a false nine, which means Lucca could go to the bench today.

Conte might be planning to introduce a real centre-forward for the second part of the game, but starting on the bench will possibly affect Lucca’s morale, especially with Romelu Lukaku and Rasmus Hojlund injured.

Lucca has scored one goal in nine appearances this season, and Conte backed his signature over the summer, when Napoli were also in talks for Darwin Nunez.

Bonny the ideal replacement for Thuram

On the other hand, Inter striker Bonny is in a very different form as the Frenchman has proved to be an ideal replacement for the injured Thuram.

The ex-Parma striker, who joined Inter in the summer, has already collected three goals and four assists in 10 appearances across all competitions.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan doesn’t feel the weight of his 37 years (he will turn them in January), sprinting instead like a teenager.

The data is astonishing and confirms that the Armenian is not only a superb professional, but also an exceptional interpreter of his role.

Against Roma, he ran from the first whistle to the last, a total of around 12 kilometres, and nobody on the pitch produced a better physical performance.

It is difficult to imagine Chivu doing without him tomorrow, even if Sucic is pushing for minutes and this is the most intense, congested stretch of the season.

Mkhitaryan future unwritten at Inter

And what about the future? Mkhitaryan’s contract with Inter expires at the end of the season.

He had already considered retirement a few months ago before choosing to continue, and he recently admitted that “anything can happen – I could stop, or I could go on for two more years.”

His current level would advise keeping him, but the definitive decision will depend on other factors.

Inter know they have a leader who still performs at a Champions League standard, and while the club plans its long-term midfield, Mkhitaryan’s consistency ensures the conversation remains open.

His legs say he can continue: now it is only a matter of choosing which path to take.

For the foreseeable future, Napoli will be without goalkeeper Alex Meret, who had fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte at the Stadio Maradona, and now there are even more reasons for €20m-man Vanja Milinkovic-Savic to cement himself as the no.1 choice between the posts. 

Big chance for Milinkovic-Savic after Meret blow

Meret, who has suffered an injury to his metatarsal, had won two Scudetti over the last three seasons, but had been overtaken in the Napoli pecking order by Milinkovic-Savic following his arrival from Torino over the summer. 

Milinkovic-Savic has started the season as Napoli’s first-choice goalkeeper, a decision that was not necessarily definitive, but one that Conte had intended to stick with for the first part of the season. 

Now, Napoli have become even more reliant on the Serbian shot stopper, who had originally been brought in for his ability to play with the ball at his feet. 

The former Torino goalie will now face the biggest test of his Napoli career this weekend. Following the disastrous 6-2 defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League midweek, Milinkovic-Savic and Napoli will go up against Inter with the two teams level on points in second and third place ahead of kick-off. 

There are 20 million reasons, 21.5 million to be precise, for Milinkovic-Savic to put this difficult period behind him and cement himself as Conte’s long-term no.1.

Jan Ziolkowski has been criticised by the Italian press and Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini following a 2-1 loss against Viktoria Plzen, but the Giallorossi’s main problem comes from the fact that the coach’s transfer requests were not satisfied over the summer.

Roma defender Ziolkowski found himself in the middle of a storm on Thursday, when he was subbed off in the first half of an eventual 2-1 loss against Viktoria Plzen.

Ziolkowski had made a mistake in the build-up to Plzen’s opening goal and was replaced a few minutes later, but didn’t take it well.

Ziolkowski is not Roma’s problem

Gasperini said at the end of the game that the 20-year-old, who had started the first game for the Giallorossi, was ‘still not ready.’

Ziolkowski, who joined Roma in the summer, will have time to adapt to Roma’s playing style to avoid repeating such mistakes.

At the same time, however, it is clear that Roma’s main problem lies elsewhere, as Gasperini’s transfer requests over the summer were not entirely satisfied.

Gasperini’s transfer requests at Roma

The Italian tactician expected further reinforcements in attack, having asked for a winger, besides Leon Bailey, and a centre-forward, even after Evan Ferguson’s loan move from Brighton.

Roma are just one point behind Serie A table leaders Milan, but certain shortcomings are tough to hide, and Gasperini’s desire should have been fulfilled at the right time to give him players suitable for his playing style.

Joao Mario was meant to be the hard-running wing-back for Juventus worth the sacrifice of Alberto Costa to FC Porto, but Igor Tudor is far from happy with the exchange.

With what we have seen so far this season, the player shows no signs of breaking into the first team, even when there is a shortage of other alternatives.

Juventus don’t see Joao Mario

We saw once again away to Real Madrid that Tudor preferred Pierre Kalulu for that flank, where he was able to contain the forays of his opponents, but is inevitably less effective going forward to create scoring opportunities.

Joao Mario has been given just under 300 minutes of football so far this season, and dropped off the radar entirely in recent games, while Kalulu has surged in various different roles.

The fact is that Tudor would gladly have kept hold of Alberto Costa, instead he was forced to sell for Joao Mario, and is showing how unconvinced he is by that swap.

It’s early to say, but so far Juventus have been on the losing end of that deal.

Sandro Tonali is becoming an increasingly integral figure for Newcastle United in the Premier League and Champions League alike, asserting himself as an essential player under Eddie Howe, and recent revelations regarding his contract extension only strengthens the bond between the player and club. 

Tonali contract extension makes Serie A return almost impossible

There has been a lot of talk lately about Tonali’s contract extension with Newcastle. The Italy international signed a new deal until the summer of 2029 with an option for an additional 12 months, which was agreed while the player was serving his 10-month long betting ban. 

There has also been speculation that Tonali’s contract extension definitively rules out a return to Serie A, following reports of interest from Juventus during the summer transfer window. 

The reality is, that not much has changed following Tonali’s contract extension. He had already been valued in the region of €80m, a valuation that still stands. If anything, that price has only increased. 

Any team interested in acquiring Tonali will have to pay those sorts of figures, not to mention his significant salary. And additionally, Newcastle have no intention whatsoever of letting him go any time soon. 

For the interested Serie A sides, this is a mountain that seems almost impossible to climb, at least for the time being.

Ademola Lookman went through one of the roughest summers in transfer market history with his mutiny and Inter’s withdrawal, but his Atalanta future remains a mystery.

His current contract only runs to June 2027 and it’s not clear how long he will remain in Bergamo, but meanwhile at least the turbulence of the last few months has been left behind.

It was a dance with Inter, followed by mutiny and escape, the return to Bergamo and the club’s difficulty accepting a situation that wrecked the normal routine for at least a couple of months.

Lookman bond with Atalanta remains tenuous

Atalanta showed patience to wait for the right moment to get him back in the starting XI, which happened at the weekend against Lazio, and Lookman is visibly lacking match fitness, but his performances are gradually improving.

It will be very important for La Dea to get his goals back, but inevitably before the end of the year they’ll also have to sit down and discuss the next step.

His contract is not a long one, but this time everyone wants to come together and agree on the solution to avoid further storms on the horizon.

This is why his performances can help boost the profit margin, as Atalanta were never prepared to drop below a certain figure.

Tonight’s match in Madrid will not deliver any definitive verdicts for Juventus.

It would be illogical to think that a single game could decisively determine anything.

However, what stands out most are the barbs Tudor has aimed at the club, particularly directed at Comolli. It is unacceptable for the Juventus coach to start arguing with the Como coach, complaining that “he got the players he asked for, I didn’t.”

Whoever sits on the Juventus bench cannot afford to head down such a risky path on their own, one that serves only to create unnecessary problems for themselves, as if they had shot themselves in the foot.

Tudor unrest grows as rift grows between coach and management at Juventus

It is clear that Tudor is not satisfied with the summer transfer window, and he doesn’t even need to say it openly: just look at how little he has been using the new signings.

That alone would have been more than enough of a signal, without needing to fuel a dangerous controversy. And yet, Tudor of all people should know very well, perhaps better than anyone, what Juventus represents.

Or rather: what it represented, and what it is now struggling to become again.