Real Madrid‘s reported interest in Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea may be dominating the transfer headlines, but according to the Daily Mail‘s Mike Keegan, Los Blancos haven’t made a single official offer yet to the Red Devils.

There have been initial talks, but reports of a £13 million bid, which was widely panned by pundits like the Times’ Oliver Kay, were apparently premature:

Keegan claims Real’s first bid will likely be in the region of £13 million, which will be nowhere near enough to secure his services. De Gea has a buyout clause of £145 million in his contract, but with one year left on his deal, the Spanish giants won’t go anywhere near that astronomical fee.

A likely compromise will be a fee somewhere near £25 million, which would be the second-highest fee ever paid for a stopper, per Infostrada Sports:

At this point in time, De Gea‘s future seems less clear than it was two months ago, when everyone assumed the Spain international would return to Madrid during the summer. Rumours of a £13 million bid almost insulted United fans, and unless Real are willing to pay significantly more for his services, it makes little sense to move the stopper for such a low fee.

His contract situation means the Mancunians are never going to receive more than £30 million for their star goalkeeper, but if Real’s fee isn’t to the club’s liking, it makes more sense to keep hold of De Gea for one more year, ride his skills to a strong finish in the Premier League and Europe and let him walk for free.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson still believes De Gea will move to the Spanish capital during the summer, and while that remains the most likely scenario, it’s no longer as cut-and-dry as it was before the end of the season:

Juan Mata recently told Manchester Evening News‘ Rob Dawson he wants his compatriot at Old Trafford next season, although he also acknowledged he wants his team-mate “to be happy,” more than anything else.

This transfer saga will continue to go back-and-forth until one of the clubs involved finally makes some kind of official statement, either confirming De Gea‘s move to Spain or telling us he’ll be staying in the Premier League for another year.

Until then, expect both the British and Spanish press to continue digging.

Fabio Cannavaro Weighs in on Gonzalo Higuain Future

Italian football legend Fabio Cannavaro doesn’t believe Gonzalo Higuain will leave Napoli during the summer, telling Il Mattino (h/t Football Italia) the Argentina international told him he is happy at the San Paolo: “Why shouldn’t he stay? When we last spoke, he told me he was very happy at Napoli.”

The 27-year-old has been linked with a move to Old Trafford ever since the Partenopei lost out on Champions League qualification for next season, via the Daily Express‘ Charles Perrin.

The departure of manager Rafa Benitez also impacts the situation, with plenty of changes expected at the San Paolo during the summer. Amid all that turmoil, Higuain may believe it’s time for him to move on.

He may have been Napoli‘s top scorer in the past two seasons, but things haven’t gone smoothly for Higuain since leaving Real Madrid. He suffered through a disappointing 2014 World Cup with Argentina and has failed to crack the 20-goal mark in Serie A since completing his move.

Higuain is still a solid forward, but he no longer looks like the world-class striker that was such a popular name on the transfer market in 2013. La Liga blogger Rafael Hernandez even wondered why he made the Albiceleste team over Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi for the 2015 Copa America:

Despite the drop in popularity, Higuain is still an important figure for Napoli. He’s the club’s biggest star and primary scorer, and the Partenopei won’t be willing to part with him cheaply.

United don’t have to worry about their finances and have a clear need for a new striker, but Higuain might not be the answer. Even though there’s a shortage of world-class strikers on the open market these days, you have to assume that the Red Devils could do better than Higuain, who reportedly won’t be sold for anything less than his £72 million release clause, per Gazzetta dello Sport (via ITV).

All things considered, it’s hard to see anyone pay that kind of cash for Higuain, so Cannavaro‘s assessment of the situation may prove to be correct.

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Italian club Parma have declared bankruptcy and will now be forced to start anew from Serie D, the nation’s highest amateur division.

Continue for updates.

Parma Officially Declared Bankrupt

Monday, June 22

“The administrators of Parma FC, Dr. Angelo Anedda and Dr. Alberto Guion, communicated that as of 14.00 today, June 22 2015, no offers have been received for the sporting rights of the club,” read an official statement on the Parma website (h/t Ian McCourt of the Guardian). “In the coming hours the administrators will meet with the creditor’s committee and the bankruptcy judge Dr Pietro Rogato to make the necessary arrangements for the bankruptcy proceedings.”

McCourt’s article notes two potential buyers pulled out before the deadline, one on Sunday and the other on Monday.

Although recently relegated from Serie A, Italy’s top flight, Parma cannot compete in Serie B during the 2015-16 season. Instead, a new incarnation of the club must work away from the professional scene when the new campaign arrives.

Parma finished bottom of Serie A in 2014-15 with just 20 points from 38 matches, despite securing home wins over the likes of Inter Milan, Fiorentina and champions Juventus. The side’s last victory in the division came on April 26, when Antonio Nocerino’s penalty saw them beat Palermo 1-0.

The closest the club has come to winning Serie A was in 1996-97, when they finished two points behind Juve. Three Coppa Italia victories arrived across a decade from 1992, while Parma also won the UEFA Cup in ’95 and ’99.

BBC journalist John Bennett is one of many who remembers arguably the club’s greatest side:

B/R UK provided another poignant team shot:

Parma supporters may take heart from Glasgow Rangers, who were relegated to the Scottish third division after going into liquidation in 2012.  They recently missed out on a third successive promotion and entry into the Scottish Premier League via a playoff defeat to Motherwell.

A new era now looms for Parma. The likes of Antonio Cassano, Raffaele Palladino and many others are likely to move on to help the club start afresh.

Although it was a necessary step, supporters of the Ducali will want to see the foundations of the club kept intact before the new journey begins.  

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Inter Milan confirmed Sunday the signing of Geoffrey Kondogbia from Monaco. 

Alec Fenn of Goal.com translated the tweet, with the club stating Kondogbia will be taking a medical on Monday.

Kondogbia has been in demand this summer ever since it became apparent Monaco were willing to sell.

AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani was confident his club had a deal in place to sign Kondogbia for €40 million.   

“Monaco had given us the all-clear for the sale at €40 million with payment spread over two years, €20 million and €20 million,” he said in La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Football Italia). “The agreement with Geoffrey had already been sorted out the night before and was confirmed that same morning by him and his father.”    

Galliani added that the involved parties all departed by the afternoon before the transfer could be made official.

Milan’s loss is Inter’s gain. Kondogbia remains one of the more promising young defensive midfielders in Europe. Squawka Football highlighted how his combative nature on the pitch will help out Inter Milan:

With that said, this transfer isn’t a slam dunk for the Italian giants. Kondogbia still isn’t the finished product just yet. Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe thought Inter might be paying just a bit too much for a player who can disappear during games:

Regardless, Inter need to make some major splashes in the transfer market this summer if they’re to get back into the Champions League. The club is laying down a marker by signing Kondogbia. While Inter can’t afford to make a high number of big transfers, this deal at least shows ownership is willing to open up the checkbook.

It’s still way too early to consider Inter contenders to win Serie A next year. Between Kondogbia‘s potential and having a full season of head coach Roberto Mancini, the club should be much better positioned to compete for the top three in Italy.

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Napoli‘s Gonzalo Higuain is expected to leave his current club during the upcoming summer transfer window, and according to the latest rumours, Arsenal will be among the clubs vying for his services.

Squawka’s Oisin Fahim references reports from the Daily Mirror and Metro, claiming the Argentine international is “certain” to leave Napoli after the Partenopei missed out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League. And while Manchester United are the front-runners to land his signature, AS Roma and the Gunners are also keeping an eye on the situation:

Higuain has been strongly linked with a move away from San Paolo in recent weeks with many suitors vying for his signature.

Serie A side Roma are keen on the player, as per the aforementioned source, whilst Premier League rivals Arsenal are also said to be monitoring his situation, according to the Metro.

Italian football legend Fabio Cannavaro thinks the 27-year-old will stay, as he told Il Mattino (h/t Football Italia), but he’s certainly in the minority. Napoli are in turmoil after missing out on the Champions League and losing manager Rafa Benitez, and big changes are expected at the Sao Paulo.

Higuain moved to Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013, and while he’s been productive during his time in Serie A―18 goals last season, per Fahim―he’s no longer regarded as the world-class striker who led the charge for Los Blancos.

He had a disastrous 2014 World Cup with Argentina and has failed to elevate his play for the national team since then, to the point where Spanish football blogger Rafael Hernandez couldn’t understand why he made the squad for the 2015 Copa America over Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi:

Higuain isn’t a scrub―he led Napoli in scoring in each of the past two seasons for a reason, and it’s no stretch to assume he would instantly become Arsenal’s most prolific striker should he make the move to the Emirates.

But Napoli will be expecting a fee worthy of a world-class forward, or they won’t part with their biggest star. And given the absurd transfer fees we sometimes see in this day and age―more on that later―Higuain may not be worth the gargantuan fee Napoli will demand.

For a club like Arsenal, who traditionally only spend big on players who come with few question marks, an investment in Higuain would be out of the ordinary. The Gunners could use a forward whose biggest strength is scoring goals, and the Argentina international isn’t scoring at a higher rate than Olivier Giroud, who is a lot more versatile.

Unless the Partenopei are willing to sell for significantly less than his reported buyout fee―£72 million, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via ITV)―a move to north London seems highly unlikely.

£30 Million Price Tag for Saido Berahino

Speaking of unlikely moves and absurd transfer fees, the Daily Star‘s Steve Brenner reports West Bromwich have placed an astonishing £30 million price tag on Saido Berahino, who seems desperate to leave the club but still has two years left on his contract.

The report comes just one day after former England international Rio Ferdinand took to Twitter to complain about the ridiculous transfer fees being tossed around for young English talent, and it seems West Brom were paying attention:

There’s no denying the 21-year-old is a talented player, scoring 14 Premier League goals last season―via WhoScored―and impressing with a nice blend of athleticism and finishing ability. He also led England’s under-21 team in goals, scoring an incredible 10 in the same amount of matches, per WhoScored.

Clearly, he’s worth a significant investment based on what he has shown during his short career and his obvious potential. But £30 million? As Ferdinand suggested, the likes of Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez didn’t cost that much more, and both were established star players before they moved to the Premier League.

Not everyone disagrees with West Brom‘s valuation of their star striker, mind you. Michael Graham of the Chronicle believes the fans’ reaction to the Baggies’ reported asking price is a bit hypocritical:

West Brom have every right to try to get as much cash as they can for Berahino‘s services, but given the player’s apparent desire to leave the Hawthorns, it’s unlikely any top club will be willing to spend that kind of money on a disgruntled youngster with just the single productive Premier League season under his belt.

This transfer saga looks like it may not get resolved until late August, but don’t expect any club to pay that kind of cash for his services. West Brom may be able to net anywhere between £20 and £25 million for his services, and such a fee would already be more than fair for Berahino.

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Manchester City are reportedly ready to meet Liverpool‘s £50 million asking price for Raheem Sterling, opening the door for a summer transfer move for the England international.

According to the Daily Express‘ John Richardson, the Citizens’ two previous offers had been rejected, but they’re now willing to meet the Reds’ demands:

As Sunday Express Sport has revealed Liverpool are prepared to sell the 20-year-old but not for a penny under £50 million.

Sources close to the Merseyside club have indicated that City won’t drop their interest for the sake of another £10 million in a summer in which they are committed to bringing in top English talent.

The City hierarchy also know that other clubs including Rafa Benitez’s Real Madrid, Arsenal and Chelsea are lurking.

Sterling seems all but certain to leave Anfield after a rocky finish to the 2014-15 campaign, and Bleacher Report’s Graham Ruthven fully expects a transfer to completed by the end of the summer:

The 20-year-old was one of Liverpool’s key contributors last season but seemed almost disinterested by the end of the campaign, and at this point, fans don’t even seem to mind his potential departure all that much.

As one of England’s brightest young talents, he should net the club a significant fee, and the reported bid of £50 million could be used to upgrade the squad in other areas, most notably the attacking third.

Some will question City’s decision to spend such a large sum on one player who shows plenty of promise but hasn’t produced like some of the elite stars at his position, but English talent always comes at a premium. Former England international Rio Ferdinand acknowledges Sterling’s potential but still doesn’t agree with the valuation:

In many ways, a £50 million move would suit both clubs. Liverpool know they’ll likely be forced into a sale, and while they’d rather not strengthen a direct rival, the youngster seems destined to stay in the Premier League for now.

As a home-grown player with incredible upside, he’ll inject some much-needed youth into City’s squad, and if his progression continues, he could be one of the club’s biggest star for the next decade.

It remains to be seen whether another club will jump in and out-bid the Citizens, but even if that’s not the case, Liverpool should be happy to receive £50 million for a player who was likely to leave in the immediate future anyhow.

Mateo Kovacic‘s Future Unclear

With Geoffrey Kondogbia all but certain to join Inter Milan, questions over the future of longtime Liverpool target Mateo Kovacic have started to surface once more.

Sky Sports’ Fabrizio Romano shared these images of Kondogbia signing his new deal with the Nerazzurri, and unless his medical reveals any irregularities, he should be officially announced at some point during the coming days:

That news was immediately followed by conflicting reports regarding Kovacic. David Amoyal of Gianluca Di Marzio remains adamant the Nerazzurri want to keep him, while Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Metro‘s Will Giles) believe the Reds have nearly met Inter’s valuation of the player and will complete the transfer at some point this summer.

Inter were hit with punishments after breaking the financial fair play rules earlier this year, via Sky Sports, so they will have to find a way to clear the books. Moving Kovacic could be a solution, and with Kondogbia now in the fold, the Croatia international seems like the perfect player to be sold.

Bursting with talent, Kovacic had a disappointing 2014-15 campaign that saw him get benched on multiple occasions. He flashed his potential throughout the year, but overall, 2014-15 was not a good season for him.

He remains an intriguing young player, however, and WhoScored’s Ben McAleer thinks Inter would be mad to cash in now:

FFP regulations might not give the Nerazzurri much of a choice, as tantalising as a combination of Kovacic and Kondogbia in midfield sounds, and for the right offer, it should be possible for the likes of Liverpool to convince the Italians to sell.

As mentioned before, Kovacic looked far from convincing last season, but the 21-year-old is an emerging talent who may just need a change of scenery to unlock his vast potential. A gifted playmaker and scorer, he should make for a fine addition to a group of midfielders that just lost Steven Gerrard.

Kovacic would need some time to get used to the Premier League and still needs some seasoning, but his long-term upside makes him well worth the significant fee it would take to bring him to England.

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Geoffrey Kondogbia’s move to Inter Milan is all but official, and the AS Monaco midfielder is ready to spurn Liverpool in favour of a transfer move to Italy in the coming days.

The France international, who is a Liverpool fan and was linked with a move to Anfield, per Goal.com’s Duncan Castles, has already agreed to personal terms with the Nerazzurri, signing a contract Saturday, per Sky Sport’s Fabrizio Romano:

As soon as Inter and Monaco can come to an agreement, the move will be made official, and according to Romano, the two clubs are close to a deal.

A number of top clubs around the continent have been chasing Kondogbia, per Castles, and of all the Premier League clubs, Arsenal appeared most likely to win the race for his signature. The fact that he is reportedly a Liverpool fan gave the Reds a massive advantage, however, and it’s surprising to see that manager Brendan Rodgers didn’t push harder to bring him into the club.

The 22-year-old overcame injury problems early in the 2014-15 campaign and broke out in a big way, impressing for Monaco in the Champions League. He plays a similar position to compatriot Paul Pogba and is regarded as a cheaper alternative to the Juventus star.

Kondogbia’s move to Inter may have a silver lining for Liverpool, however. While he doesn’t play the exact same position as Mateo Kovacic, it’s still likely that the Italians brought him in as a replacement for the Croat, and Football Italia wonders whether he will now make the move to Anfield:

Kovacic has tremendous potential but suffered through a disappointing 2014-15 campaign that saw new Inter manager Roberto Mancini bench him on multiple occasions. The 21-year-old is still a part of Inter’s plans, but given his recent struggles, they may be willing to cash in and let someone else try to develop him.

With Kondogbia set to sport the iconic blue-and-black kit next season, the Nerazzurri can afford to let Kovacic walk, opening the door for Liverpool to snatch a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard.

Kondogbia is undoubtedly the better of the two players right now, but Kovacic has the potential to be just as good in a few years. Maybe all the Croat needs is a change of scenery to bounce back after his disappointing season, and with Kondogbia heading to the Italian fashion capital, Liverpool’s bid to land his services becomes a little easier.

Reds Keeping Tabs on Dries Mertens

Belgium international Dries Mertens could leave Napoli during the summer, and according to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Metro‘s Will Giles), the Reds are considering an offer to bring the versatile forward to Anfield.

His agent, Soren Lerby, recently told Radio Crc (h/t Football Italia) that Mertens is considering his options after Napoli’s season ended on a sour note:

It’s been a difficult year for Napoli. After being knocked out of the Champions League, they got very close to winning the Europa League, but we all know what happened in the League. We’ll see what will happen now.

There are clubs interested in Dries, but at the moment I can’t say anything. … I don’t know if the problem is Napoli or Mertens, we’ll have a meeting soon to decide the lad’s future. It’s true that Mertens has a contract with Napoli, but we’ll make our decision together with the club.

Mertens moved to the Partenopei from PSV in 2013 and has steadily developed into one of the club’s most versatile attacking weapons. He played as a winger and attacking midfielder last season, scoring 10 goals and handing out nine assists, per WhoScored.com.

He’s also become a key part of Belgium’s national team, where he regularly outshines the likes of Eden Hazard. While not as physically gifted as his Chelsea compatriot, his motor never stops, and he’s more comfortable playing in a central role.

In many ways, he looks like a perfect replacement for Raheem Sterling, who seems destined to leave the club during the summer, per Bleacher Report’s Graham Ruthven:

Mertens has a great scoring touch, something Liverpool could use after the club’s strikers failed to deliver in 2014-15. He won’t score over 20 goals next season, but he will add to the club’s tally while providing plenty of assists—and he won’t shy away from doing his defensive duties.

His contract doesn’t run out until 2018, but if he decides to force a move away from Napoli, he should cost less than half of what the Reds should receive by selling Sterling. Napoli failed to qualify for the Champions League and will have a hard time convincing Mertens to stay, given the departure of manager Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool’s lack of Champions League football will hurt them in the chase for Mertens, but given their impending need of a creative, productive attacking midfielder, they should present him with an attractive wage packet if they do make a bid. And if that’s the case, it’s hard to see Mertens turning down a move to Anfield.

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