Scott McTominay has delivered his verdict on why certain players have improved after leaving Manchester United, with the Scotland international saying there is no obvious "excuse" as to why that has happened. McTominay is, as a Serie A title winner with Napoli, one of several stars to have flourished since severing ties with Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford.
United States men's national team star Christian Pulisic is set to be joined by Premier League flop at AC Milan in a shock transfer as the Rossoneri's desperate search for a new striker nears conclusion. The German forward has failed to settle in London since joining from Borussia Dortmund and is understood to be keen on an immediate exit in the next window.
Manchester United and Roma are locked in a tense standoff over the transfer of Joshua Zirkzee, with the two clubs seemingly miles apart in their valuation of the struggling Dutch striker. While the player is reportedly keen on a return to Serie A, negotiations have hit a wall over the structure of the deal, forcing Roma sporting director Frederic Massara to line up a list of alternatives.
Stefan de Vrij’s time at Inter appears to be reaching its conclusion, with reports from Italy suggesting the Dutch defender is ready to pack his bags. Nottingham Forest have emerged as a surprise Premier League suitor, while Benfica and Bologna are also monitoring the situation closely.
Inter Milan’s title defence has been rocked by the news that Denzel Dumfries will be sidelined for months following ankle surgery. The Dutch international’s injury has forced head coach Cristian Chivu to rethink his winter strategy, with the Nerazzurri now preparing to delve into the January transfer market to find emergency cover for the right flank as they look to maintain their Scudetto push.
Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah has been tipped to make a shock return to Serie A as Reds legend opens up on 'solution' to the Egyptian's transfer saga. After slamming the club and manager Arne Slot publicly for keeping him out of Liverpool's starting lineup following their clash against Leeds, Salah returned to action against Brighton last weekend.
English defender Archie Brown faces a humiliating exit from Fenerbahce just months after his high-profile summer switch to the Turkish giants. The 22-year-old famously snubbed a move to AC Milan to join Jose Mourinho’s revolution in Istanbul, but with the Portuguese manager having already departed and new head coach Domenico Tedesco swinging the axe, Brown’s Turkish adventure appears to be over before it truly began.
Manchester United have been advised to explore a transfer move for USMNT star Christian Pulisic, with the AC Milan talisman being told that he could become one of the most famous American players ever if he moved to Old Trafford. Ex-Red Devils defender Paul Parker has explained to GOAL why a raid on San Siro for a Premier League-proven forward makes sense.
Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.
Mason Greenwood faces the prospect of losing one of his most trusted allies at Marseille this January, with reports from Italy suggesting Juventus are ready to launch a move for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The Serie A giants, now managed by Luciano Spalletti, have identified the Danish international as the ideal midfielder to dictate play in Turin, leaving Roberto De Zerbi fighting to keep his squad intact.
AC Milan are reportedly weighing up a January swoop for struggling West Ham United striker Niclas Fullkrug as sporting director Igli Tare looks to provide manager Massimiliano Allegri with a physical focal point in attack. The German international has failed to settle in London since joining from Borussia Dortmund and is understood to be keen on an immediate exit, though a return to the Bundesliga remains an option.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
Things are really heating up in the run-up to Christmas across Europe's top leagues, with Inter reclaiming top spot in Serie A, Lens surprisingly leading the way in Ligue 1 and Barcelona continuing to pile pressure on Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid. Over in Germany, though, it seems that nobody is really capable of dethroning Bayern Munich, but Premier League leaders Arsenal are looking more and more nervous with each passing week.
AC Milan sporting director Igli Tare has insisted that the club have no intention of parting ways with Mike Maignan, promising that contract talks will take place with the goalkeeper soon. The French shot-stopper has attracted significant interest from Chelsea and Juventus as his current deal winds down, but Tare maintains that the 'extraordinary' custodian is happy at San Siro.
Antonio Conte has admitted his Napoli players were "too worried and fearful" during their damaging 1-0 defeat to Udinese on Sunday. The Italian manager urged his squad to develop more "malice" and learn the dark arts of time-wasting to manage difficult moments, warning that their lack of character away from home is threatening to derail their Serie A title defence.
Massimiliano Allegri made a late tactical change during AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Sassuolo, substituting U.S. international Christian Pulisic in the 72nd minute. The Milan manager said the move was dictated by the flow of the match, stressing it had nothing to do with managing minutes ahead of the club’s next fixture. Pulisic has nine goal contributions in nine league matches this season.
Serie A giants AC Milan are tracking Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus ahead of a potential January swoop as the forward finally makes a comeback from injury. The Brazil star spent almost a year on the sidelines after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in January this year. Jesus returned to action in the Champions League earlier this week against Club Brugge before appearing in the Premier League on Saturday.
Juventus have finally responded to reports of an attempted takeover of the club after cryptocurrency firm, Tether submitted a binding proposal to buy a controlling stake in the Serie A side. Tether proposed to acquire the current owner, Exor’s 65.4 per cent shareholding at a price of €2.66 per share and later intended to launch a public tender for the remaining shares at the same valuation.
Tether, a cryptocurrency firm, has submitted a binding proposal to buy a controlling stake in Juventus, potentially ending more than a century of ownership by the Agnelli family. The offer, lodged with Exor, the Agnelli family’s holding company, values Juventus at approximately €1.1 billion (£966m/$1.29bn). Tether has proposed to acquire Exor’s 65.4 per cent shareholding at a price of €2.66 per share and later intends to launch a public tender for the remaining shares at the same valuation.
With Christmas approaching, there are still two winless teams in Europe's 'Big 5' leagues. That one of them is Wolves is arguably unsurprising. The Fosun International-owned Premier League club sold two of their best players during the summer and squandered the proceeds on sub-standard signings. However, the fact that Fiorentina have yet to win a single game in Serie A is shocking.
Pulisic is chasing a first league title, Balogun is delivering in Europe, and Brenden Aaronson is fighting relegation - GOAL breaks down the biggest Americans Abroad storylines across Europe this weekend.
Aurelio De Laurentiis has launched a passionate defence of Jose Mourinho following Napoli's Champions League defeat to Benfica. The Napoli president slammed critics who believe the Portuguese tactician is 'finished', claiming that European football culture seeks to 'bury' winners out of envy, whereas they would be celebrated as icons in the United States.
Aurelio De Laurentiis has reignited the rivalry with former manager Luciano Spalletti, now at Juventus. The Napoli president claimed the recent Serie A title under Antonio Conte was 'the real Scudetto' compared to the 'obvious' victory secured by his predecessor, insisting the cinematic drama of last season's 'blockbuster' battle made it superior to the dominance of the 2023 campaign.
Como have been dealt a massive injury blow with Alvaro Morata ruled out for a significant period. The Spanish striker, who arrived in the summer following a drawn-out transfer saga involving Galatasaray and AC Milan, faces a frustrating spell on the sidelines after sustaining a serious thigh injury against Inter.
Denzel Dumfries has put elite European clubs on high alert after making a significant change to his representation. The Inter wing-back has parted ways with super-agent Jorge Mendes, a move that coincides with the activation of a tempting release clause in his contract next summer. Barcelona and Manchester City are monitoring the situation closely as the Dutchman eyes his next move.
Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has hit out at the refereeing decision that cost his side dearly against Liverpool in the Champions League. The Argentine striker labelled the late penalty award for holding as an "injustice" and insisted that football would become unplayable if every shirt pull resulted in a spot-kick, while also reaffirming his desire to win everything this season.
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