Plus: Rabiot contract, tension between Messi and Pique
Tuesday 2 October 2018 11:44, UK
Our friends at Football Whispers have scoured the European media market to bring you the best stories of the day.
Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta could take over as sporting director at Manchester United with Antonio Conte joining him as a manager. Marotta has confirmed he is leaving Juve this month and is in position to take over football operations at Old Trafford, leaving Ed Woodward to concentrate on the commercial side of the club. With Jose Mourinho also under pressure, Conte would be Marotta's pick to replace the Portuguese given their success together at Juve. (Corriere dello Sport)
Signing Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba forms part of chairman Andrea Agnelli's strategy to turn Juventus into the biggest in the world. A new board of directors will be announced on October 25, including Pavel Nedved and Ferrari F1 chief Maurizio Arrivabene, and having brought Cristiano Ronaldo to Turin, Agnelli has declared Mbappe and Pogba as his next targets to take Juventus to the next level. (Tuttosport)
Internazionale attempted to sign Milan's Suso this summer but the transfer was vetoed by Rossoneri coach Gennaro Gattuso. Inter offered Croatia midfielder Marcelo Brozovic plus £13.3m in exchange for the former Liverpool forward but Gattuso was intent in keeping the 24-year-old. Suso has two goals and three assists in six games this season for Milan. (Calciomercato)
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has revealed he "cried for a long time" after leaving Roma this summer in a then world record transfer to Anfield. The Brazilian international returns to Italy for the first time this week as Liverpool take on Napoli in the Champions League. He said: "Leaving Rome was difficult, I cried for a long time and my wife did too. I decided with my head to go to Liverpool, but my heart was full of tears. I spent two special years in Rome." (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Adrien Rabiot has rejected a third contract offer from Paris Saint-Germain worth £6.4m a year. Rabiot is out of contract next summer and has repeatedly turned down PSG's offers of a new deal. Barcelona are among a host of clubs interested in the France midfielder and Rabiot is free to speak to potential new employers in January. (Mundo Deportivo)
There is tension between Barcelona duo Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique over the Argentine's refusal to speak to the Spanish media, especially after bad results. Pique believes, as club captain, Messi should be the voice of the club but the forward rarely attends press conferences or speaks in post-match mix zones. Pique also feels that Messi only ever talks when on international duty with Argentina. (AS)
Nicolas Pepe, who Barcelona enquired about over the summer, has been linked with Everton and Arsenal. Pepe has scored five goals and added three assists in eight Ligue 1 games this season and Barca have continued to scout the 23-year-old along with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, who are interested in making an approach next summer. However, the list of suitors for the Ivory Coast international has now widened to Premier League duo Arsenal and Everton. (Sport)
But any plans Barcelona, Arsenal and Everton may have to sign Pepe in January will have to be shelved as the Ivorian has revealed he wants to complete a full season with Lille. Club president Gerard Lopez has revealed Barca are one club to have been in touch regarding the forward but Pepe said: "I've already said, I'm going to have a full season in Lille," he said, "I have not finished my mission." (RMC Sport)
Jadon Sancho is poised to sign a new deal with Borussia Dortmund following his stunning start to the season. The England Under-19 winger is under contract at the Westfalenstadion until 2020 after joining from Manchester City in the summer of 2017. But after a goal and five assists in his first six games of the new campaign, both the 18-year-old and Dortmund want to extend terms. (Kicker)
