Chelsea scouts have reportedly been watching the undisputed king of the transfer rumour mill, Paul Pogba, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport, via Tom Sheen of the Independent.

The Frenchman has been linked every which way over the past few transfer windows, with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United all vying to break the bank to secure his services.

Sheen writes that scouts and players from Stamford Bridge were in the stands at the San Siro to watch Juventus in Coppa Italia action against Inter Milan on Wednesday, although Pogba only came on for the last five minutes of normal time in a 3-0 defeat for the Old Lady.

The former Manchester United midfielder did find the net from the spot in the penalty shootout to send his side to the final, yet his performance wasn’t exactly enough for scouts to tell the Chelsea powers-that-be to hand Juventus a blank cheque.

Still, the football world knows exactly what Pogba is about. He’s a powerful, attack-minded midfielder who has the ability to turn a game on its head in the blink of an eye. The torrential rumours may be a tad frustrating, but they prove just how highly sought after the 22-year-old is.

It’s luring him to Stamford Bridge that’s the really tricky part, though.

Chelsea reportedly tabled a bid for Pogba at the end of the 2014/15 season, yet Juventus’ astronomical valuation of the player means they came up a little short.

However, it seems the Blues have a plan up their sleeves. According to Sky Sports Football, rumours have emerged that Chelsea plan to use Nemanja Matic as bait in their bid to get Pogba to west London:

The Premier League champions would have to stump up some cash on top to give Juventus something to think about, although signing a player of Matic’s quality and getting a healthy pay day at the same time would be enough to tempt many teams.

Pogba is one of the most wanted players in football, but until you see him proudly holding another team’s shirt aloft, it’s best to think he’ll be staying put with the Serie A champions.

Elsewhere, Chelsea are reportedly in the hunt to sign Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi, per Corriere dello Sport, via Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star.

Icardi has been in sensational form for the Serie A side this term, and his lethal touch in front of goal hasn’t gone unnoticed.

However, the man himself told Inter Channel that he wants to stay in Milan and enjoy success, per Malata’s story: “I’ve had a few offers but I want to stay here and lift trophies with this club. I’m the captain and I want to achieve great things with Inter.”

Chelsea’s squad isn’t one you’d look at and say needs a complete overhaul, but the Blues desperately need more quality in depth.

Signing such quality could depend on whether or not Guus Hiddink can guide his side to Champions League football next term; and based on their current form, it’s certainly possible.

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Chelsea star Eden Hazard has hinted he may not be leaving the Blues during the summer transfer window.

In an interview with Chelsea TV (h/t Metro‘s Lee Thomas-Mason), the Belgian winger said he’s “happy” at Stamford Bridge, despite his rocky form in the 2015-16 campaign:

The future is always the same and that is to win trophies, next season, in two and three years.

You want to win the games, to win trophies. [To do that] you have to be ready because all the teams want to beat Chelsea.

We are ready for that. We have good players in the team and I hope we can win more trophies.

I am always happy here. Even if I play badly, I’m happy. I know this is football but I try to keep a smile on my face every time.

Per Thomas-Mason, he has been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Paris-Saint Germain, and he previously said it would be difficult to turn down a move to PSG, per Metro‘s Sean Kearns.

Last year’s PFA Player of the Year has failed to replicate his form in the 2015-16 season and has failed to score a single goal in the Premier League all season long. The Blues struggled collectively at the start of the season.

Under interim manager Guus Hiddink, Chelsea have recovered and currently find themselves in a battle for a ticket for European football next season. Hazard’s form has improved as well, although he’s still the butt of jokes on social media. BreatheSport joined in on the fun:

The 25-year-old is still one of Chelsea’s most important players, and arguably their best talent when he’s on form. The Blues are expected to fight tooth and nail to keep him in west London during the upcoming transfer window.

Fighting off the likes of PSG and Real won’t be easy, however, and Los Blancos in particular continue to be linked with the Belgian. Marca recently claimed the Spanish giants would love to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu as a replacement for Isco and James Rodriguez, something Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws didn’t find shocking:

Real manager Zinedine Zidane has previously expressed his admiration for Hazard, and there’s every reason to believe the 1998 FIFA World Cup winner will try to move for the former Lille star next summer, per MailOnline’s Ben Grounds.

Hazard seems open to a prolonged stay with his current club, however, which gives the Blues leverage in negotiations. Unless PSG or Real are willing to pay top dollar for a player who hasn’t lived up to his lofty standards all season long, Hazard seems likely to stay with the Blues for now.

Chelsea Reportedly Scout Paul Pogba

Italian daily Corriere dello Sport (h/t Independent‘s Tom Sheen) claimed the Blues watched Juventus star Paul Pogba during Juventus‘ Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Inter Milan, a 3-0 loss that saw the Bianconeri advance to the final after a penalty shootout.

Per the report, Chelsea have been linked with the France international for a long time, while former club Manchester United and Manchester City are reportedly also interested.

The 22-year-old hardly needs an introduction. Rated at £70 million, per Sheen, Pogba is one of the best young midfielders in the world, playing a big part in Juventus‘ run to the UEFA Champions League final last season.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

Blessed with remarkable physical traits, technique and a killer shot from long range, Pogba is already a complete player, despite his young age. He can struggle for consistency, but that’s to be expected from a youngster tasked with carrying a midfield unit on his back at times.

Per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Daily Mirror), former Juventus manager Antonio Conte is widely expected to replace Hiddink as Chelsea manager next season, and given his personal history with Pogba, rumours linking the Frenchman with Chelsea will only increase.

ESPN FC’s David Amoyal doesn’t expect the Italian to have any effect on Pogba‘s decision to leave the Bianconeri, however:

Transfer rumours regarding Pogba have been swirling for a while, but Juventus have a fantastic reputation for keeping hold of their top talent and only selling if the buying club is willing to pay well above a player’s worth.

Pogba might leave Juventus this summer, but his departure is far from a certainty. And when he does leave, he’s more likely to move to a top club expected to win immediately, like Barcelona or Real Madrid, instead of Chelsea, who face a rebuild under their next manager and likely won’t be playing in the Champions League next season.

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Injured Juventus star Claudio Marchisio has apologised after offending disability groups for a tweet he sent out during his side’s Coppa Italia win over Inter Milan, reports Football Italia.

The 30-year-old sat out the penalty-shootout victory and sent out a message on social media when Simone Zaza received a yellow card: “Zaza booked, they say he kicked. The commentator must be blind.”

And it’s a choice of words that has been condemned by the Rai journalists syndicate Usigrai “an offence that cannot be overlooked as a stylistic accident.”

Marchisio was forced into an apology on Facebook and will not be punished by his club.

His post reads, per Football Italia:

I’m surprised that my comment on a football play was defined as “delegitimising” the work of others. We all have the right to express our judgment on a match.

As a player I’m used to accepting comments and opinions of all sorts, from the fans as well as from the journalists.

On the other hand my faux pas, even though I was attempting a joke, on blind people, was unfortunate and wrong.

I apologise for that. The moment’s emotion overwhelmed me and this is something that should never happen.

League-leading Juventus take on Atalanta in Serie A on Sunday.

[Football Italia]

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Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches will reportedly feature in his last “big” match in Portugal against Sporting before his transfer to Manchester United.

That’s according to Portuguese daily Record (h/t Metro‘s George Bellshaw), who claim Benfica hope to sell the teenager for a club-record fee. The current record is held by Axel Witsel, who moved to Zenit St. Petersburg for a sum of £30.9 million. Per Bellshaw, Benfica are hoping for an additional £15.5 million in add-ons.

The 18-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester for some time now, and the Daily Mail‘s Simon Jones and Chris Wheeler previously claimed the two clubs held talks in January.

Sanches has been one of the top breakout performers in Portuguese football this season and recently won Benfica’s award for Revelation of 2015, per Jan Hagen of Sport Witness:

The Portuguese midfielder is known for his dribbling ability and athleticism and already displays remarkable vision for such a young player. While he’s still a very raw prospect, his long-term potential is both outstanding and obvious.

Sanches is a willing defender and a solid finisher, but his passing remains a work in progress. He tends to lose focus and can try and force the action too much, but when he keeps things simple and abandons the flashy plays for the solid ones, he looks like a future superstar.

Here are some of his highlights:

United have shown a willingness to spend big on young and relatively inexperienced players in recent years, investing in Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay last summer. The former has shown those kind of investments can pay off immediately, while the latter has largely struggled in his first season at Old Trafford.

Sanches is similar to Martial as far as experience goes, and spending more than £30 million on such a player will always be a major risk. He has been touted as a top talent for years, but right now, he’s still a raw player who may never live up to his potential.

That said, it’s a risk United have to take. If brought along slowly, Sanches could be the answer to United’s questions in midfield for years to come, and with Martial playing in front of him, the duo would give the Red Devils an extremely talented central axis.

Inter in for Kamil Glik

Over to Italy, where Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t talkSPORT) report Inter Milan will offer Torino £8 million for defender Kamil Glik, who has also been linked with United.

According to the report, several clubs are in the running for the Poland international, and Bayer Leverkusen made an enquiry in January. Glik still has four years left on his contract, but after years of playing for relatively small clubs, he may be open to finally securing a big move.

The 28-year-old was a part of Real Madrid‘s setup until 2008 before moving back to his native Poland, and he has been steadily working his way back up the ladder ever since. He has impressed mightily since joining Torino, and per BT Sport’s Adam Summerton, it hasn’t gone unnoticed:

Bayern Munich’s reported interest was likely a result of their wave of injuries in January, and they ended up signing Serdar Tasci from Spartak Moscow.

Like Bayern, United’s defence has been decimated by injuries at times in the 2015-16 campaign, but even when everyone’s healthy, questions remain. Chris Smalling is an automatic starter, but the likes of Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind have been unable to consistently perform, and another star defender would be a welcome addition.

Glik is not a star, but he is a very solid option who will be courted heavily this summer. Here’s a look at his highlights:

Inter’s reported offer of £8 million would be easy to match for United, who would love to add some more depth to their defence. But the Red Devils are more likely to look for a star to pair with Smalling or at least someone with a higher ceiling.

Glik is a fine player, but a move to Inter makes more sense for the Polish defender.

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Heading to the second leg holding a 3-0 advantage, it seemed Juventus had one foot firmly in the Coppa Italia final, only to look on as Inter Milan quickly drew level on aggregate. In a dire display, the Bianconeri eventually triumphed 5-3 on penalties in what was an ugly performance against their bitter rivals.

Given that they had beaten the same side comfortably in the league just three days earlier, the drop-off in performance from the Turin giants came as a huge surprise, even allowing for the heavy rotation made to the starting XI by coach Massimiliano Allegri. 

Indeed, the current cup-holders made no fewer than eight changes at San Siro, with Gigi Buffon, Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba among those dropping to the bench. Underused players such as Neto, Daniele Rugani and Kwadwo Asamoah took to the field instead, each contributing to what was almost an embarrassing exit from the knockout competition. 

An ill-advised pass from the Brazilian goalkeeper saw the Nerazzurri take the lead, although Gary Medel clearly fouled Hernanes in the build-up to it. Asamoah—making just his third start of the campaign—looked off the pace all evening, while Rugani gave away a penalty from which Marcelo Brozovic equalised.

There may have been an air of misfortune to that incident, but captain Leonardo Bonucci was in no mood to make excuses when he spoke to RAI Sport moments after netting the decisive spot-kick (h/t Juventus.com):

We made life very difficult for ourselves. Inter had nothing to lose and threw everything at us from the first minute.

As for us, we approached the match in the wrong manner and as much as I hate to say it, this was one of the worst performances I’ve seen since joining the club. Ultimately, we rode our luck to get to penalties and luckily we put them all away.

While the 28-year-old defender may have overlooked a few displays from the dreadful 2010/11 campaign, this match certainly ranks alongside those desperate pre-Antonio Conte days, and the current boss must shoulder some responsibility for that. 

Just as he had against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, Mr. Allegri opted for what was an overly cautious 4-4-2 formation, a decision that simultaneously handed their opponents the initiative and nullified the best qualities of his own players.

Alex Sandro had less space to make his trademark bursts forward, and Juan Cuadrado also lacked freedom on the opposite flank, but both men improved after a shift in shape during the second half.

Arguably the most creative player in the side, statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com show that only Stephan Lichtsteiner (27) had fewer touches of the ball than Hernanes (27). The Brazilian had looked much-improved in a midfield three recently; he was often overwhelmed with only Stefano Stuaro alongside him in the central area.

Meanwhile, the same source shows that the framework—and the subsequent muted attacking prowess it lent to the side—resulted in the Bianconeri managing just two shots on target and a meagre 40.8 percent possession over the course of 120 minutes. 

It was, of course, expected that they would sit back somewhat given their advantage going into the return match, but the tactical approach removed all semblance of urgency, a rare mistake from a coach who has made very few since arriving in Turin just over 18 months ago.

Thanks to Fiorentina holding Napoli to a draw on Monday night, Juventus are now three points clear at the top of Serie A and once again in the Coppa Italia final, but Max Allegri must avoid repeating this tactical error if he is to help the Old Lady to a second-consecutive league and cup double.

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Juventus arrived at the San Siro on Wednesday on the strength of a 3-0 win over Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final.  All they needed to do was hold that lead.  Score a goal away from home, and they would force Inter to score five.  Given the way Juve dominated Inter in league play at the weekend, Juve were expected to cruise through.

But as the poet Robert Burns said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.”

Massimiliano Allegri got his tactics wrong from the get-go, and Inter took advantage of a questionable call by referee Andrea Gervasoni to get into the game early.  Another early one in the second half breathed real life into the tie, and when Gervasoni pointed to the spot with eight minutes left, Inter completed their improbable comeback to force extra time.

An ill-tempered affair full of yellow cards and cramping legs ended up going to penalties after Pablo Carrizo pulled a fantastic double save against Alvaro Morata in the game’s last 10 seconds.

When the chips went down, the winning mentality fostered at Juve for the last four years finally shone through.  All five of their penalty-takers buried their shots, while Rodrigo Palacio put Inter’s second into the crossbar.  The Nerazzurri protested, but Gervasoni confidently pointed to his watch, assuring them that the San Siro‘s goal-line technology had indicated that the ball did not cross the line.

Let’s take a look at some of the winners and losers in a wild and wacky game.

Begin Slideshow

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For the first time since 2003, AC Milan is headed for the final of the Coppa Italia.

It’s been such a long time since Milan graced the showpiece that their last appearance was in a two-legged affair.  Milan won that final, the last of their five triumphs in this competition, on a 6-3 aggregate score against AS Roma.

On Tuesday, they walked into the San Siro holding a 1-0 lead over Alessandria from the first leg.  The third-tier Grighi had enjoyed a truly charmed run in this tournament.  Four of the six teams they beat to get to this point were in a higher league, including two from Serie A.

But two-legged ties tend to allow the separation in talent between teams to come to the fore, and that’s exactly what ended up happening.  Milan rode a Jeremy Menez brace to a rampant 5-0 win, moving the aggregate to 6-0.

Milan’s run to the final has been tinged with some luck.  Both Fiorentina and Roma were on their side of the bracket, but they were upset by Carpi and Spezia, respectively.  That left Milan with a much easier road.  

However easy the road might be, though, a team still has to seize upon it, and Milan did just that.  For several reasons, reaching the final means Sinisa Mihajlovic can count his first season as head coach as a success.

First and foremost is the chance of winning silverware.  The last time Milan even came close to winning a trophy was the 2011-12 season, when they finished second to Juventus in the league.  Taking one back to Milanello would be a major milestone on the club’s rebuilding project.  

They may go into the game as underdogs, but Milan is probably the second most in-form team after the Bianconeri; if the San Siro side play the game right, they have a chance at winning.

Second, making the final practically guarantees Milan a place in continental competition next year.  The Rossoneri may yet finish in the top five on their own given the run of form they’re on and the nosedive that city rivals Inter Milan have endured since the calendar turned.  But even if they do fail to overtake the Nerazzurri for fifth place, the Coppa provides a fallback.

Unless something incredible happens on Wednesday in the second leg of the other semifinal between Inter and Juventus, the Bianconeri will be Milan’s opponent at the Stadio Olimpico on May 21.

The Turin outfit currently has a three-point lead at the top of the standings having capped off their remarkable comeback from early-season struggles.  

Unless something catastrophic happens, Juve will finish in the top five this year—realistically the top two—meaning that the UEFA Europa League place that goes to the winner of the Coppa will instead go to the runner-up.

Two weeks ago, club president Silvio Berlusconi told Radio Onda Libera (h/t GazzettaWorld) that Milan can still qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but that’s his typically outsized expectations and ego talking.  

His daughter and joint-executive vice-president, Barbara, took a more measured approach in late January when she told a press conference (h/t Football Italia) that Europe’s second competition was the more reasonable goal.

Nothing is more important to Milan’s rebuild than returning to European competition.  While it may not be the hoped-for Champions League place, the Europa League—for all its faults—isn’t a bad substitute, especially for a team like Milan.

Few of the players that have become first-choice at Milan have played extensively in Europe.  A primer course in the Europa League could give them valuable experience.

That experience can be invaluable.  Take Juventus as an example.  After dropping down from the Champions League group stage to the Europa League two years ago, they made a deep run to the semifinal.  That experience was likely invaluable last season when they worked their way to the Champions League final.

It wasn’t the only time Juve used the second tier as a propellant.  In 1993 Giovanni Trapattoni won the UEFA Cup.  Three years later, Marcello Lippi won the Champions League.

Milan can use the Europa League to the same ends.  It isn’t as much money as the Champions League, but it is a revenue stream they currently don’t have—and the opportunity to win the only major trophy the team has never won will add to the club’s prestige.

Silvio Berlusconi may have outsized expectations—in an interview with Alberto Cerrutti of La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t GazzettaWorld) in the run-up to his 30th anniversary at the club he said he wanted to make the Champions League final at least twice in the next five years—Milan is running at a good pace in their rebuilding process.

After two seasons with no European commitments at all, a baby step to the Europa League makes sense for a team whose project really isn’t finished yet.  

Now that Milan has all but guaranteed a place back at the European table—and the chance to take home some silverware—it’s pretty clear that this season has been a successful one.  

Now Milan will need to build on that success in the future.

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