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Udinese vs. AC Milan: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Things are looking up for Milan again.

After years of mediocrity, months of uncertainty and weeks of bedding in new players, the Rossoneri are thinking positively. The last fortnight has witnessed improved performances thanks to revised team selections and coach Sinisa Mihajlovic’s tactical schemes beginning to take effect.

A 1-0 defeat to city rivals Inter Milan was taken on the chin, with fans enthused by the overall display of the team in spite of the result. Mihajlovic was himself pleased, confidently assessing post-match that he had found “his team,” according to Sky Sports (h/t Football Italia). That was followed by a 3-2 home victory over Palermo on Saturday night.

The win over Palermo had its ups and downs. Milan conceded two equalisers before finally sealing the three points courtesy of a Carlos Bacca header, but while Milan were far from perfect, the win is in itself a sign of progress, as it was the type of game they would have blown last season.

With more of a spring in their step, Milan will now travel east to face Udinese at their newly refurbished Stadio Friuli home. The Zebrette are proud of their new-look stadium but have yet to achieve league success there; so far this season, they have lost both of their home games against Palermo and Empoli.

Having begun their campaign with a surprise 1-0 away win over champions Juventus, Stefano Colantuono’s side have lost three successive Serie A matches to find themselves in 16th place. While Milan have improved in recent weeks, Udinese have fallen off the pace.

And so it is with vastly contrasting moods that Milan and Udinese meet, with the former aiming to take another step forward on the road to redemption and the latter hoping to halt a steep decline.

 

Date: Tuesday 22 September

Time: 19:45 BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Stadio Friuli, Udine, Italy

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK)

Live Stream: Not Available

 

Form Guide

Udinese 1-2 Empoli

Lazio 2-0 Udinese

Udinese 0-1 Palermo

Juventus 0-1 Udinese

Udinese 3-1 Novara (Coppa Italia)

 

Milan 3-2 Palermo

Inter 1-0 Milan

Mantova 2-3 Milan (friendly)

Milan 2-1 Empoli

Fiorentina 2-0 Milan

 

Team News and Predicted Formations

Udinese will be without Panagiotis Kone after the Greek midfielder was sent off for two yellow cards in their weekend defeat to Empoli.

With Kone absent, Colantuono may well bring talented young Portuguese playmaker Bruno Fernandes back into the fray. Fernandes is a more attacking choice but could provide good energy and creativity to an otherwise staid midfield.

French central defender Thomas Heurtaux could also return to the starting lineup after an unsteady performance from Molla Wague against Empoli, while further forward Udinese have a dilemma as to who to start up front.

Antonio Di Natale is a legend, but his ageing legs are not always the optimum choice on a counter-attacking team. A more viable attacking duet could see powerful Colombian Duvan Zapata, on loan from Napoli, paired with Cyril Thereau, the man who put Juventus to the sword in the first week of this season.

Mihajlovic has fewer selection concerns, with most of his headaches likely to be of the positive variety. Up front, he must decide whether to rest one of Carlos Bacca or Luiz Adriano and bring in Mario Balotelli, while the likes of Luca Antonelli and Andrea Bertolacci could be available again after injury.

Ignazio Abate suffered a knock against Palermo before being substituted early on and thus may be a doubt for this game. If that is the case, there is immediate space for Antonelli to come back in on the left, while Mattia De Sciglio returns to the right. If not, 18-year-old Davide Calabria made a good impression from the bench against Palermo and could be used again.

Bertolacci is less likely to return to the lineup, even if fit. In his absence, Juraj Kucka and Giacomo Bonaventura have played well in the centre of Milan’s midfield diamond, providing a combination of dogged persistence and creativity.

Udinese (3-5-2): Orestis Karnezis, Thomas Heurtaux, Danilo, Ivan Piris; Edenilson, Manuel Iturra, Bruno Fernandes, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Ali Adnan; Antonio Di Natale, Duvan Zapata

Milan (4-3-1-2): Diego Lopez, Ignazio Abate, Cristian Zapata, Alessio Romagnoli, Mattia De Sciglio; Juraj Kucka, Riccardo Montolivo, Giacomo Bonaventura; Keisuke Honda; Luiz Adriano, Carlos Bacca

 

Players to Watch

Ali Adnan (Udinese)

Iraqi left wing-back Ali Adnan arrived at Udinese in the summer, in doing so becoming the latest player to benefit from the club’s extensive scouting network. At 21 years old, he came with a reputation as a promising talent and so far has lived up to expectations.

WhoScored.com rate him as Udinese’s best player so far this season, with his attacking intent particularly noteworthy; none of Adnan’s teammates have come close to his 2.5 completed dribbles per match, and his 2.5 key passes per game are also unrivalled.

The statistics are an indication of what Adnan provides to Udinese. His attacking forays down the left side are an important component in Colantuono’s 3-5-2 system, and he will have to be watched closely by Mihajlovic‘s right-back.

 

Riccardo Montolivo (Milan)

At the start of this season, Riccardo Montolivo’s future seemed unsure. It was rumoured that he was not seeing eye-to-eye with Mihajlovic after being left out of Milan’s opening league game away to Fiorentina, as Sacha Pisani reported for Goal.com.

There seemed to be no place for him in the team, though now, after being given a chance against Inter, Montolivo looks like an integral piece in Mihajlovic’s midfield puzzle.

The turnaround has been quick and fairly unexpected. Nigel de Jong began the season as Milan’s midfield enforcer of choice, but after the opening two league games in which a lack of control was evident, he was dropped in favour of Montolivo for the Derby della Madonnina.

Montolivo put in an assured performance to make sure that when it came to picking the team for Palermo on Saturday, Mihajlovic kept the Italian international in there.

From the deep-lying position he has shown his full passing repertoire, gathering possession from the defenders and starting moves. His 88.3 per cent pass accuracy, according to WhoScored, is a testament to his technical quality.

 

Key Battle

Carlos Bacca vs. Danilo

Bacca has made a fast start to life in Milan, scoring three goals in four league appearances to confirm his class. In the process, any doubts as to his ability to settle in Italy and penetrate Serie A’s well-organised defensive lines have been firmly swept aside.

Joining Milan as one of European football’s in-form strikers, he has yet to strike up a fully functioning relationship with fellow new signing Luiz Adriano, but Bacca isn’t waiting for them to click and has shown himself to be capable of taking on the goalscoring burden alone for the time being.

In Danilo, Bacca will find himself up against an experienced Serie A customer, one who has been a regular for Udinese over the past four years.

The Brazilian will likely be partnered by two of Molla Wague, Thomas Heurtaux or Ivan Piris to form a back three, as Udinese seek to stifle attacks before countering.

With Adriano yet to hit top form and Balotelli yet to start since returning to the club, Milan will require Bacca to be at his cutting, clinical best if they are to break through Udinese’s defence.

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AC Milan vs. Palermo: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game

Milan eventually won a back-and-forth contest at San Siro on Saturday, earning their second league win of the season with a 3-2 victory over Palermo.

The Rossoneri took the lead in the 20th minute thanks to a well-crafted Carlos Bacca finish. Palermo equalised 12 minutes later through an Oscar Hiljemark header from a corner kick.

Milan regained the lead before half-time, with Giacomo Bonaventura curling home a delightful free-kick on 40 minutes. Palermo head coach Giuseppe Iachini was given a red card in the aftermath of the goal.

Palermo leveled the score again in the 72nd minute, with Hiljemark played through after an intricate passing move to slot beyond Diego Lopez for his second. However, Milan simply weren’t to be denied, and Bacca got his second of the game with 15 minutes remaining, rising to head home from a Juraj Kucka cross.

Milan held on to seal an important win that follows on from their improved performance against Inter Milan last time out.

Here are our winners and losers from the match.

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Inter Milan Jacket Spotted in Club Store Features Accidental Juventus Branding

Half-and-half scarves have divided the football world, but we can’t imagine there’ll be many interested in the latest piece of half-and-half gear on sale to supporters at the Inter store.

Matt Barker on Twitter spotted this Inter jacket with Juventus branding on the inside.

A slightly more subtle way to remain on the fence, perhaps, than this:

[Twitter]

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Mario Balotelli Emerges with Credit from the Flames of AC Milan’s Derby Defeat

Milan lost the first Derby della Madonnina of the 2015/16 season, going down 1-0 to city rivals Inter Milan in a riveting contest on Sunday evening. But despite the loss, there were positives for Milan to take from the game, one of which was the display of Mario Balotelli.

The mercurial striker has courted both criticism and controversy throughout his career thus far, something that prompted Milan to impose a special good behaviour clause upon the 25-year-old’s rejoining the club on loan from Liverpool.

However, while his wisdom has often been called into question, what hasn’t been in doubt is his technical ability. For many, he remains Italy’s best natural striker, and when fully motivated, he poses a threat to the most alert of back lines.

There was always the possibility that Balotelli’s signing was a risk worth taking, and his half-hour cameo from the substitute’s bench seemed to reinforce this stance.

While he failed to create or score a match-altering goal, he appeared determined to shape the game in his and Milan’s favour. It was refreshing to watch, especially when contrasting this newfound enthusiasm to how visibly forlorn he looked during his spell on Merseyside last season.

Five minutes prior to his re-emergence on the San Siro turf, Inter had taken the lead. Fredy Guarin’s brilliantly taken strike meant that Balotelli came on for his second Milan debut and met with a state of immediate adversity. He didn’t shrink from the occasion.

The first thing he did was step up to take a free-kick from a dangerous area on the right-hand side, adjacent to Inter’s penalty area. He whipped in a fizzing, accurate ball that panicked the Inter defence, who nonetheless managed to clear.

Those who had, perhaps understandably, sported a look of perplexity at Balotelli’s replacing Carlos Bacca on 62 minutes were immediately given hope. Evidently, Balotelli was in no mood to let anyone down, least of all himself.

On 75 minutes, he showed quick feet to skip beyond Davide Santon and Felipe Melo before providing a pullback from the byline. Minutes later, his jinking feet were on show once more when he sashayed past two players before unleashing a sharp finish from outside the box that was denied only by the left post.

Having already tantalised Inter’s defence on multiple occasions and come so close to equalising, Balotelli was playing with confidence. He won and subsequently took a free-kick on 82 minutes, finding the bottom-right corner with a low drive that was well-saved by Samir Handanovic.

His dribbling, delivery from set pieces and all-round attitude offered enough signs to suggest that he can be trusted with a starting spot in future, but what may have encouraged Milanisti—and Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic—even more was his temperament.

From the second he entered an arena filled with baying Inter supporters, Balotelli found himself the target of several openly malicious attempts at provocation. If Melo wasn’t mouthing sweet nothings to him, Guarin was trying to test out his shinpads. Balotelli did well to remain relatively composed and press on with trying to change the game.

According to WhoScored.com, Balotelli was Milan’s best player on the night with a rating of 7.34. In around 30 minutes of action he had more shots than Bacca had attempted in twice that time. He completed just as many dribbles as Bacca, and more than Luiz Adriano, who played the full game. He also attempted to set up his team-mates with many more crosses than either and made more key passes than Adriano.

Perhaps what is even more telling is that Balotelli was fouled more than Bacca or Adriano. Yes, he was more willing to go down, and yes, he was clearly being goaded by Inter’s players, but it nonetheless bought Milan valuable opportunities from set pieces in the final third.

It’s also worth noting that Balotelli did all this while up against an Inter defence that was clinging to a crucial lead. Bacca and Adriano had found plenty of space through the middle to exploit with their pace earlier on, but the environment in which Balotelli played was far different.

By the time he came on, Inter were more accepting of not having the ball and defended deeper than before. There, with a resolute defence in front of him, an opposition determined to force a reaction from him and a partisan Inter crowd jeering his every move, Balotelli thrived.

His substitute appearance was far from complete. He failed to score, and Milan lost. But the urgency, confidence and skill with which he played will give Mihajlovic a lot to think about when he next has to pick his starting lineup.

While Bacca and Adriano continue to settle in a new city, Balotelli—the returning lost soul of Italian football—has shown that he can be the man to give Milan’s attack some much-needed impetus.

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Galatasaray vs. Atletico Madrid: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Stream, TV Info

The first group-stage match of the UEFA Champions League is always an opportunity as well as an exciting moment, with each of the four clubs eager to make a good start to boost their chances of making the knockout stages.

Group C sees Turkish side Galatasaray host Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the first round of games, arguably the two favoured sides to progress with Benfica of Portugal and FC Astana of Kazakhstan the other two teams. While the obvious aim is to win the game, both Galatasaray and Atletico might be forgiven for thinking that simply not losing in the first fixture, against a rival team for qualification, wouldn’t be a bad result.

Galatasaray‘s build-up to the game has seen them pay tribute to former legend Metin Oktay, who scored over 300 goals for the club across two spells in the 1950s and 60s, winning multiple titles along the way.

As for Atletico, the weekend defeat at home to Barcelona would have been a tough one to take; the Liga title-holders were far better on the ball and Diego Simeone was clearly displeased at his side’s inability to cope or mount a serious threat of their own for long spells. His post-game press conference noted that Barcelona’s rapid equaliser stopped his team controlling play, while he also had words for the important play of goalscorer Fernando Torres.

Simeone has noted that he has plenty of new signings, but he will take his time integrating them into the first XI on a regular basis until they are deserving of it. Per UEFA.com:

I always tell the new players that when I joined as coach, Koke wasn’t a starter. When Diego Costa came here after loan spells elsewhere, he wasn’t a starter. When Jan Oblak arrived, he wasn’t a starter. When Antoine Griezmann arrived, he wasn’t a starter. The new boys need to integrate as well as possible so they quickly understand what the team need. Of course the coach will see that even faster.

[Luciano Vietto] has the attributes the squad needs. He’s a good forward who can play as a second striker. He can get assists and goals and is a hard worker. Of course he’ll have to develop. Jackson [Martinez] is a finisher. He’s also very strong in the air and good with both feet. He’s a bit older than the likes of Ángel Correa, Griezmann and Vietto. He has a few years’ more experience and that’s what we need: people who are ready to play. He can put on the Atleti shirt and play.

Last season saw Galatasaray finish bottom of their Champions League group with just one point from six games, while Atletico Madrid reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Real Madrid.

 

Date: Tuesday, September 15

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET)

Venue: Turk Telekom Arena, Istanbul 

TV Info: BT Sport Extra 5 (UK), ESPN3 (USA)

Live Stream: BT Sport Extra (UK), Fox Soccer 2Go, ESPN Deportes+ (USA)

 

The Teams

Galatasaray‘s season hasn’t started anywhere near as well as they’d like in terms of results; despite winning the Turkish Super Lig last season they have won only one of their opening four games this campaign, sitting in eighth place at present with only five points, already five behind leaders Fenerbahce.

Despite the early failure to consistently take three points, the players and manager don’t appear to be overly downhearted about the situation. Boss Hamza Hamzaoglu believes his team have been a little unfortunate to not get what they deserve and thinks the change in competitions could benefit his team, per the club’s Twitter account.

Likewise, Wesley Sneijder is sure that Galatasaray can bounce back and make a big impact as the season goes on.

Atletico had started their own Liga season impressively with two wins from two, including a 3-0 victory at Sevilla before the international break. The home loss to Barcelona, though, brought an end to that positive start and Simeone will be keen to see his team get back on the front foot.

Away from home and perhaps not needing to go as all-out for the win as Galatasaray may feel pressured into doing, Simeone may well opt to switch to a 4-3-3 for this match to counter with greater pace and get support for the forward.

 

Team News

Galatasaray‘s manager has already intimated there will be changes for the game, with the side struggling after not replacing Felipe Melo following his departure to Inter Milan late in the transfer window. Depending on his plans, it is feasible that Emre Colak or Jason Denayer could come into the XI.

Atletico Madrid have departed for Turkey without left-back Filipe Luis, though most of the rest of the squad is available. 

None of Miguel Angel Moya, Stefan Savic, Guilherme Siqueira, Lucas Hernandez or Thomas Partey have yet played a single minute for Atleti this season.

 

Possible Starting Lineups

Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Fernando Muslera; Lionel Carole, Hakan Balta, Semih Kaya, Sabri Sarioglu; Jose Rodriguez, Selcuk İnan; Lukas Podolski, Wesley Sneijder, Yasin Oztekin; Burak Yilmaz.

Atletico Madrid (4-3-3): Jan Oblak; Juanfran, Josema Gimenez, Diego Godin, Jesus Gamez; Gabi, Tiago, Koke; Antoine Griezmann, Jackson Martinez, Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco.

 

Players to Watch

Galatasaray: Lukas Podolski

The German has been a bright spot for Galatasaray despite their uneven start to the season. Two goals in his opening four games, including the equaliser at the weekend, represents a reasonable return for a team who clearly haven’t clicked yet or found a balance between attack and defence.

If the Turkish side are to take any kind of positive result, they will need Podolski not only to attack the box and be a scoring threat, but also provide service to Yilmaz in the middle by attacking Atleti‘s full-backs. From the left, he’ll be up against Juanfran—a phenomenal defender in one-on-one situations.

 

Atletico Madrid: Gabi

For Atletico, the temptation will be to sit tight in their own half for the start of the match at least, denying the likes of Podolski and Sneijder time on the ball and room to operate. Sat between the two attacking midfielders will be Gabi, the right-sided midfielder of Atleti‘s central pairing, who has started the season well for the most part.

His ability to break up play but then also drive forward and support ensuing attacks will be pivotal for Atletico to have a say on the flow of the fixture.

Prediction: Galatasaray 1-2 Atletico Madrid

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Inter Milan vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Milan Derby

Fredy Guarin scored the only goal as Inter defeated Milan 1-0 on Sunday at the San Siro in the first Milan derby of the Serie A season.

Following a scoreless first half, Guarin netted a superb solo strike in the 58th minute for what turned out to be the winner. Mario Balotelli, making his second debut for Milan, entered as a substitute but could not score an equalizer despite playing well.

The win maintained Inter’s perfect start through three matches. Roberto Mancini’s side tops the table with nine points, two ahead of Chievo Verona.

Milan, meanwhile, lost for the second time in three matches. The Rossoneri are currently 12th with three points.

Here, B/R selects winners and losers from the match.

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Inter Milan vs. AC Milan: Live Score, Highlights from Milan Derby

Serie A Live Updates

Inter Milan vs. AC Milan

The first Milan derby of the season is set for Sunday, and we’ll have live coverage of the game right here. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. EDT, and our updates will begin about 30 minutes beforehand.

 

Follow @MiguelCominguez.

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Manchester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho Destined for Stardom After Winner vs. Palace

Sometimes a young footballer emerges and immediately looks destined for stardom. They have obvious technical quality and confidence in their ability, and they tend to enjoy moments early in their careers that feel seismic—the springboard for sustained future success. It’s a rare, wonderful thing, but we may have seen the latest example of it on Saturday in London.

Manchester City have a potential great on their hands. Kelechi Iheanacho, an 18-year-old Nigerian forward, impressed on the club’s preseason tour and forced his way into City manager Manuel Pellegrini’s thinking.

His performances were difficult to ignore, with a mix of skill, intelligence and belief in in his talent. It was clear by the time City had returned from their final friendly in Stuttgart he was the best young player on their books and the most likely to break into the first team.

Edin Dzeko left for Roma. Stevan Jovetic moved to Inter Milan. Pellegrini, a manager often cautious when bringing young players into his side, clearly believed he had a special player at his disposal. The stage seemed set for Iheanacho.

But his progress was soon slowed. He was named on the bench for each of City’s first four matches, but there was just one opportunity to shine, an 89th-minute appearance in the home win over Watford. After such an impressive preseason, Iheanacho was surely feeling frustrated.

But on Saturday at Crystal Palace, his moment came. Again, he was given very little time to influence the game, but he made a huge impact, announcing his arrival with his first senior goal—a last-gasp winner that continued City’s 100 per cent start to the season.

Samir Nasri twisted and turned on the edge of the Palace box before getting a shot away that was only parried by Alex McCarthy, and Iheanacho, demonstrating his innate killer instincts, reacted quicker than any defender and stabbed home.

Manic scenes erupted in the away end and on the pitch, where Iheanacho’s team-mates, who clearly like the youngster and see his potential, celebrated his winner wildly.

It felt like the moment a star was born. City’s squad is so full of talent, progressing from the academy setup into the first team and becoming a regular is mired in difficulty, but Iheanacho appears well-equipped to do so.

He has quick feet, vision, a sharp brain and can finish. So far in his short City career, no challenge has been too much for him. He continually comes through each test with vigour. He was the club’s best player during in preseason, and now he has scored City’s most important goal of the new Premier League season.

City have now won their opening five games without conceding a goal. They are five points clear of Manchester United and Arsenal and 11 points ahead of last season’s champions, Chelsea. Pellegrini could hardly have wished for a better start to the season.

Crystal Palace, who started the day in second just three points behind City, gave the Blues their sternest test of the season, but such is the character and belief in their squad, a win always seemed likely for Pellegrini’s side.

Palace started well and were causing City problems down the flanks, with Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha demonstrating their pace and trickery. But City gradually took control, and in the second half they were the better side.

Kevin De Bruyne made his debut, but not in the circumstances Pellegrini would have wished for. The 24-year-old Belgium international started on the bench, but after 25 minutes he was called upon to replace the injured Sergio Aguero, who was scythed down by a poor challenge from Scott Dann.

Aguero looks set to miss Tuesday’s Champions League match with Juventus. Pellegrini was visibly angry and berated his opposite number, Alan Pardew. It’s not the first time the two have clashed, and Dann’s challenge has shades of the Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa tackle that left Nasri facing an eight-week layoff when City played Pardew’s Newcastle in 2014.

De Bruyne, though, showed flashes of absolute brilliance. He will need time to adjust to the pace and intensity of the Premier League after 18 months in the Bundesliga, but his ability to play defence-splitting slide-rule passes was on show from the moment he entered the field.

It’s been a flawless opening few weeks for City, and in Kelechi Iheanacho, they may well have the next star of the Premier League.

 

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report’s lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.

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Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Paul Pogba and Riccardo Brugnoni Rumours

Chelsea are reportedly still talking to Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, despite rumours the Frenchman will join Barcelona in the near future.

According to Fichajes.net (h/t Metro‘s Jamie Sanderson), Blues manager Jose Mourinho is desperate to convince the powerful midfielder to join Chelsea next year, while La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Daily Star‘s Alex Harris) claim Juventus and Barcelona already have a deal in place that would see the France international move to Spain.

Meanwhile, Pogba continues to play down any transfer speculation, suggesting he isn’t currently talking to anyone. As reported by Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News, he said:

Why would I not stay? I didn’t have any motive to go, it wasn’t the right time. It was never clear that I would leave, and there’s no reason I can’t continue here for longer; let’s see. I am at Juventus, I am only thinking about Juventus, but I do not know for how long. We will do this year and then see how things go.

The transfer saga surrounding the 22-year-old took on ridiculous proportions toward the end of the summer transfer window, particularly after Chelsea suffered a horrendous start to the Premier League season.

The Sun (h/t Independent‘s Simon Rice) even claimed a deal to take Pogba to Stamford Bridge was done, even though a summer move never seemed likely after Juventus already parted ways with midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. That report was followed by rumours the player himself rejected a move to Chelsea, per BBC’s Match of the Day:

Pogba was handed the iconic No. 10 shirt during the summer, a clear sign Massimiliano Allegri wants to build his squad around the impressive talents of his star midfielder now that Vidal and Pirlo are gone.

The Frenchman is the unquestioned star player of the Bianconeri, giving him the perfect podium to showcase his talents ahead of a potential transfer next summer. With Euro 2016 also taking place at the end of this season, a 2016 transfer always seemed more likely to begin with.

Pogba doesn’t have to leave Juventus, but after four years in Turin, he may be ready for a new adventure. He knows he’ll see a big increase in salary when he does move, and with Juventus starting the season in dreadful fashion and seemingly in a state of transition, now would be the perfect time to start the next chapter in his life.

When he does announce his intention of moving on, there’s bound to be a long line of interested suitors. Pogba looks like a future Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most complete midfielders in all of football—and there’s not a top team out there that wouldn’t pay millions for his signature.

Barcelona remains a likely destination by virtue of the club’s stature, although his fit with the Blaugrana is something of a question mark. The Catalans already field a versatile, complete midfielder in Ivan Rakitic, and perhaps they’d prefer a more creative player who could adequately replace Andres Iniesta at some point in the future.

All of this hinges on whether Pogba decides to leave Juventus to begin with, however, and that’s a question that’s unlikely to be answered until after Euro 2016.

 

Blaugrana Eyeing Young Goalkeeper?

According to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Sport), Barcelona have identified Inter Milan‘s Riccardo Brugnoni as a long-term replacement for Claudio Bravo.

The 16-year-old from Peruggia has been one of the standout performers of Inter’s youth setup and was previously followed by Manchester City, but, per Sport, the Nerazzurri had no intention of letting him walk.

Brugnoni is the latest in a long line of young, talented Italian stoppers, joining the likes of Simone Scuffet, Mattia Perin and Nicola Leali. But while the first three have some experience on the highest level, Brugnoni‘s appeal stems entirely from his potential.

Barcelona don’t exactly shy away from giving youngsters with talent a chance, and the club has a sterling reputation when it comes to developing players. But Bravo is just 32 years old―he won’t need a replacement anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen is just 23 years old and still ranks as one of the best young stoppers in the world, per Bleacher Report’s Clark Whitney:

Brugnoni is a talented young man, and while Francesco Bardi looks like the natural heir to Samir Handanovic’s position as starting goalkeeper for the Nerazzurri, he’s too young to be thinking about where his senior career will take place. The Italians have always been great at developing goalkeepers―it makes little sense for him to leave his native country for a Catalan adventure.

 

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Liverpool Transfer News: Latest on Mario Balotelli and Jeremy Menez Rumours

Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini has revealed he was interested in a reunion with Liverpool forward Mario Balotelli before he completed a loan move to AC Milan, opening the door for a possible permanent transfer at the end of the 2015-16 season.

As he told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Daily Star‘s Chisanga Malata), the former Manchester City manager still believes in Super Mario:

Yes, I admit it is true. Seriously, I thought about it at some point when we believed we might need a replacement for [Mauro] Icardi. I thought about it because I know him, I love him and I know what he can give.

I thought about it because he has to go back to being what he was. I thought about it, but that came before AC Milan signing him. I want to think forward to the next European Championships, because I see no better striker in Italy.

Balotelli moved back to Milan on loan after just one disappointing season at Anfield, where he scored just a single Premier League goal, per WhoScored.com. With his value at an all-time low, it seemed almost impossible for manager Brendan Rodgers to find a team willing to pay a significant fee for the Italian, leading to the loan deal with Milan.

While he was almost continuously mocked during his brief time with Liverpool, there are plenty of fans who believe perhaps the Italian wasn’t at fault, and instead, he was a victim of Rodgers’ tactics. The Anfield Chat is among them:

Balotelli scored on his Milan debut, but that was just a friendly against a lower-league side. We’ll learn soon enough whether he can turn his career around now that he’s back in Italy, but if he does, things could get interesting heading into next summer.

A move back to Anfield seems highly unlikely for the 25-year-old, even if he enjoys a good season and Rodgers―hypothetically―is shown the door. The club no longer wants him, and he likely doesn’t cherish his memories of the past year, either.

But if he manages to score a fair number of goals in the Serie A and prove he’s still a solid striker, there may be a market for his services again next year. Inter spent heavily during the summer, bringing the likes of Geoffrey Kondogbia into the fold, but the Nerazzurri should once again have money to spend next season.

Mancini and Balotelli had their differences in the past, as noted by the Daily Mail‘s Ian Ladyman, so one has to wonder why Mancini would wish to go through all of that trouble again, but that shouldn’t be Liverpool’s worry. If the Nerazzurri want to take Super Mario off their hands next summer, it’s one move you have to assume the Anfield club would pull the trigger on in a hurry.

 

Lucas Leiva-Jeremy Menez Swap?

One move that seems unlikely to happen is a swap with Milan that would see Lucas Leiva move to the San Siro and Jeremy Menez make his way to the Premier League, per Calciomercatoweb (h/t Metro‘s Louis Sealey).

The 28-year-old Leiva remains mostly a depth player under Rodgers, who prefers to play the Brazilian off the bench, and while he usually impresses when given the opportunity to start, it doesn’t appear his role at Anfield will change anytime soon.

Menez is stuck in a somewhat similar situation, as his playing time is set to drastically decrease following the arrivals of Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano.

Last year, the 28-year-old scored 16 goals in 31 Serie A starts, per WhoScored.com, but he was unable to fire Milan back into the Champions League and seems surplus to requirements heading into the 2015-16 campaign.

The difference between the two is that Leiva is a proven Premier League contributor and somewhat of a fan-favourite, whereas Menez has shown far too little since his move to Italy from Paris Saint-Germain to warrant the belief he could ever challenge for a starting position at Anfield.

The Reds brought Christian Benteke and Danny Ings to the club in the summer, and while they could use another veteran contributor like Menez, he’s not enough of a priority to warrant the loss of Leiva. If Liverpool want Menez, they can just buy him outright, without losing the services of their versatile midfielder.

 

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