Serie A

Sport in Italy has been on lockdown since March 9 due to the spread of COVID-19, with most domestic leagues across the globe now suspended.

There have been 4,825 deaths in Italy as a result of the virus, the highest tally of any nation.

However, Cagliari and Napoli are among the clubs to say training will resume in the coming week, while Lazio are also said to be planning on returning.

Cairo expressed his frustration at those plans in an interview with Turin paper La Stampa.

"If I think back to the Lega meeting on March 10, there were still those who talked about training and returning to play," Cairo said.

"Those speeches, to be heard now, seem [like they're] from another planet.

"I said, 'If we do not take drastic action, moving fans will also contribute to increasing the infection of others'.

"It seems foolish to me to argue a thesis on the basis of contagion data. Saying 'my region has no problems' with such a changing situation isn't a good explanation.

"Meanwhile, there are 16 clubs who don't want to think about [returning to training]."

Asked why he thinks some teams want to train, Cairo replied: "I guess for sporting interests. Perhaps to take advantage of the preparation."

Cairo also said it was "inevitable" clubs will have to ask players to take pay cuts during the crisis and believes the only way to complete the season is to have matches behind closed doors.

"Football is now more united, it is not time for cunning. If the championship ever resumes, it will be played behind closed doors," he said.

The unnamed Torino squad member – currently asymptomatic – contracted COVID-19 following an initial medical examination.

Torino said the player has been quarantined and will be constantly monitored in the coming days.

The news comes as officials try to relaunch the coronavirus-hit 2019-20 Serie A season.

Serie A has been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc globally.

Most teams are returning to individual training this week, but Italian sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora has previously reiterated that team training will not resume before May 18, despite the government allowing players to return to club facilities.

Earlier on Tuesday, following discussions during a video conference convened by UEFA, it was announced Euro 2020 would be postponed by 12 months to account for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic upon the sporting calendar.

That theoretically freed up room for remaining club commitments to be seen through by the recognised end of the season - June 30 being the date when out-of-contract players would normally cease to be employed by their clubs.

European football is on a virtual continent-wide shutdown as part of efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, with the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and LaLiga on hold until the start of April and Ligue 1 indefinitely.

Last week, UEFA postponed its forthcoming Champions League and Europa League ties, with both competitions in the midst of their last-16 phases.

A release signed by the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, European Club Association chairman Andrea Agnelli, European Leagues president Lars-Christer Olsson and FIFPro Europe president Bobby Barnes specified "a commitment to complete all domestic and European club competitions by the end of the current sporting season, i.e. 30 June 2020 at the latest, should the situation improve and resuming playing be appropriate and prudent enough".

The statement continued by outlining flexibility in terms of scheduling domestic matches in midweek slots and UEFA club competition fixtures at weekends, and added "possible adaptations" to the qualifying rounds of the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League were possible if the June 30 target date is not met.

Reports earlier on Tuesday floated June 24 and 27 as potential respective slots for the Europa League and Champions League finals.

A working group comprised of UEFA, league and club representatives will now be established to find solutions "allowing for the resumption and/or conclusion of the current season in a coherent manner".

A second working group will be established at a later date to assess the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis and offset any adverse consequences.

Any completion of club commitments must factor in the scheduled June international break, when UEFA intends to stage qualification play-offs for what is now Euro 2021.

The Women's Euro 2021, the 2021 European Under-21 Championship and the 2021 Nations League finals will all be rescheduled as a result of the men's European Championship moving to July 11 to June 11 of that next year, although UEFA has not confirmed new dates for those affected tournaments at this stage.

The 2019-20 season has been suspended indefinitely across most of Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Euro 2020 also pushed back to 2021.

While leagues are hoping to restart between the end of April and the beginning of June, there is as yet no definite return date and Ceferin has conceded it may be impossible to finish the season at all.

In that case, UEFA's president has suggested the campaign would have to be considered as null and void.

"If we don't succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost," Ceferin told Italian publication La Repubblica.

"There is a plan A, B and C. The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

"There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs."

Some matches on the continent, including Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, were played behind closed doors earlier this month, and Ceferin stated playing games without fans in attendance may be the only solution in order to complete the season.

"It's hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don't know whether we'll resume, with or without spectators," he said.

"If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships."

The deadline was put forward as part of the governing body's guidelines on eligibility principles for 2020-21 UEFA club competitions.

Following a meeting of its executive committee last week, UEFA strongly recommended all leagues on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic be completed where possible.

It proposed top divisions could be seen out with a different format, or, where resumption is not feasible, national associations could decide places for next season's continental competitions "on sporting merit".

UEFA expects all leagues to have a plan in place for how they will proceed ahead of the next executive committee meeting on May 27.

The organisation's guidelines read: "National associations and/or leagues should be in a position to communicate to UEFA by May 25, 2020 the planned restart of their domestic competitions including the date of restart and the relevant competition format.

"In the event that a domestic competition is to be prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons in accordance with [conditions set out by the executive committee], UEFA would require the national association to explain by May 25, 2020 … the special circumstances justifying such premature termination and to select clubs for UEFA club competitions 2020-21 on the basis of sporting merit in the 2019-20 domestic competitions."

Bundesliga clubs have returned to training and could be back on the pitch from May 9, while Serie A teams are expected to be able to practice together the following week.

The situation remains unclear in the Premier League, LaLiga and Ligue 1.

After professional sports were banned in the Netherlands until September 1, the Eredivisie announced the cancellation of its 2019-20 season last week.

No champions were declared and there was no promotion or relegation, with European qualification determined by the table when the league was suspended.

KNVB Beker finalists Utrecht consequently missed out on a place in the Europa League qualifiers and stated they intended to legally challenge the ruling.

Italy's top flight was suspended indefinitely last month due to the spread of COVID-19 and the FIGC has already stated that the campaign will not resume until the health and safety of all concerned can be guaranteed.

The Italian government has extended its current strict restrictions on movement and outdoor activities until May 3, although reports in the country this week suggested some clubs are keen to return to training at that time, resume playing by the end of the same month and conclude 2019-20 in July.

Some teams are unwilling to resume the season – which saw defending champions Juventus a point clear of Lazio through 26 games at the time of postponement – but Gravina hopes the campaign restarts as soon as possible.

"I'll repeat what I've been saying: we'll start again once there's the guarantee of everything being in order in regards to the health of the athletes and those who work at the clubs," Gravina told Sky Calcio Club.

"We have a meeting on the 15th of this month between the various technical and scientific bodies to discuss the next steps. We need everyone to be on the same page.

"The hope is we begin again as soon as possible. But we must complete the season — there could be very negative implications if we're unable to do so."

Coronavirus has killed at least 114,170 people across the globe, with over 1,851,400 confirmed cases.

Italy – which remains on lockdown – has recorded more than 19,890 deaths and over 156,360 cases.

Serie A was suspended on March 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Italy hard.

A day earlier, Inter suffered a 2-0 loss to Juventus and on March 12, defender Daniele Rugani tested positive for COVID-19.

Godin said there was a push for football to continue until the situation was no longer under control.

"We were exposed until the last moment. They kept pulling the rope to see if you could continue playing, until the situation was unsustainable," he told ESPN.

"The health system collapsed, there are no intensive care beds to attend so many critically ill people and people who may have another illness, they cannot attend to them, so many professional doctors."

Godin added: "We continued playing for several weeks, we continued training, playing behind closed doors, until the positive of a Juventus player was detected and we and the Juventus players were quarantined.

"There the championship was stopped. Surely in that match there were other players who would already be infected, so they directly quarantined all of us."

Italy has recorded more than 92,400 cases of coronavirus, reporting 10,023 deaths.

Though the tide appears to be turning in the fight against the spread of the virus, two leagues have decided the 2019-20 season cannot be resumed.

Others are steadfast in their determination to finish the campaign and crown champions through games that will likely take place behind closed doors.

Here we look at the state of play across the top leagues.

Premier League – SUSPENDED 

All professional football in England was suspended on March 13, putting Liverpool's march to a first top-flight title since 1990 on hold.

Liverpool were a massive 25 points clear of defending champions Manchester City when the season was suspended. The Premier League clubs remain committed to finishing the season "when it is safe and appropriate to do so". 

The league's 20 clubs were reportedly told in a videoconference on Friday that neutral venues would be needed to finish the season.

LaLiga – SUSPENDED

LaLiga saw its season suspended indefinitely on March 23 but preparations for a return appear to be ramping up.

Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that players could return to individual training on May 4.

There remains, however, no indication as to when the season can resume, with Barcelona two points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid, while Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui said players will need "at least five weeks" to prepare.

Bundesliga – SUSPENDED

On hold since March 13, the German Football League (DFL) had been taking steps towards a May 9 return but left the final decision in the hands of the government, which then elected to delay making a ruling until May 6.

Hopes of a resumption next week now appear faint, meaning fans face a longer wait to find out if Bayern Munich, who lead the Bundesliga by four points, can retain the title.

Serie A – SUSPENDED

Friday's emergency meeting of Lega Serie A reportedly saw all 20 teams agree to resume the campaign, suspended since March 9.

All teams in Italy are set to return to training on May 18, the day after the government's existing lockdown measures expire.

Juventus were one point clear of Lazio at the top when the season was brought to a halt.

Ligue 1 – CANCELLED

The decision was effectively taken out of the hands of the French football authorities this week when the government ruled that no sporting events could take place before September.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) met on Thursday and declared Paris Saint-Germain, who were 12 points clear at the top of Ligue 1, champions on a points-per-game basis. Marseille and Rennes join them in next season's Champions League.

Toulouse and Amiens were relegated and replaced by the top two from Ligue 2, Lorient and Lens, with Nimes spared as the relegation play-offs were scrapped.

Eredivisie – CANCELLED

Following an announcement from the Dutch government last month that all events would be banned until September, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) declared its intention to end the season in the Netherlands.

Ajax and AZ were level on points at the top of Eredivisie when it was suspended, but the decision was made not to declare a champion or relegate any teams. The top two go into the Champions League.

Arkadiusz Milik hit a late winner for the Bianconeri at the end of a match in which winless Cremonese had created the better of the chances.

The Serie A strugglers were twice frustrated by the officials in the first half, while Cyriel Dessers then struck the post in the second period.

But Milik's free-kick crept past Marco Carnesecchi for another victory that moved Juve to within seven points of leaders Napoli ahead of their clash with Inter.

NBA icon Jordan won six championships across two stints with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s and was crowned MVP on five occasions.

By comparison, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has clinched seven league titles in three different countries, most recently helping Juventus to back-to-back Scudettos.

And Lingard, who was part of United's academy during Ronaldo's time at Old Trafford, believes the Portugal international is football's answer to Jordan.

"I have to say Cristiano Ronaldo," he told Sky Sports when asked to pick a footballer who can be likened to Jordan.

"Everything he has achieved in his career. He has been at plenty of clubs and won many trophies. I believe he is a real icon of football, the Michael Jordan of football."

Lingard never played in the same side as Ronaldo in a competitive game but was on opposing sides to the forward in United's 2-1 Champions League win against Juve last season.

But the England international insists the former Real Madrid superstar has not posed him too many problems in the years since he left United.

"I have played against him a few times. Did he give me trouble? No, he wasn't too bad, to be fair," he said. 

"There was one game in pre-season where he came on and you could see the skills and the qualities that he brought.

"When he first came to Manchester United, I was 11 or 12. We did a skills DVD and it was him teaching us skills which was good. 

"That was the first time I had seen him. He was young and skinny when he came to the club."

Ronaldo was on target in the 51st minute at the Allianz Arena as he confidently tucked a penalty into the bottom-right corner after Bastos was ruled to have handled in the area.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner reached his half-century in 61 outings for the Bianconeri.

He promptly made it 51 goals three minutes later, Paulo Dybala going through on goal and laying the ball on a plate for Ronaldo to tap into the empty net.

The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.

In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy's top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe's top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men's Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).

Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar but hinted that he intends to be there.

"It doesn't matter the age. What is important is the mind," Ronaldo told BBC Sport, after being named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards this week.

"It doesn't matter if Cristiano Ronaldo is good, you don't know tomorrow what is going to happen. I live in the present, in the moment.

"The moment is good, I feel happy, I feel sharp and in a good moment in my life. I hope to play many, many years more but you never know."

Ronaldo scored a brace in Juventus' 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on December 8 and followed it up with doubles in Serie A victories over Genoa and Parma – either side of missing a penalty in a draw against Atalanta.

Despite his impressive form, the Bianconeri are sixth in the table, 10 points behind league leaders Milan, and Ronaldo admitted the absence of fans at the Allianz Stadium frustrated him.

"I don't like to play in the stadiums without fans, it's like going to the circus but you don't see clowns," Ronaldo said.

"The pandemic has made people crazy. I hope soon they can open the gates of the stadiums.

"We have to live with that, we have to try to do a normal life but of course we have to respect the rules. But to play without the fans, I really don't like it."

The Juventus forward has shown no signs of slowing his goal output, finishing the 2019-20 season with 31 goals and a second Serie A title before firing in 12 in 10 league appearances this term.

In 2020 he became the fourth player in the history of Italy's top flight to score 33 goals in a calendar year after Omar Sivori (33 in 1961), Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

That tally puts him top of the goalscoring charts in Europe's top five leagues this year, ahead of The Best FIFA Men's Player award winner Robert Lewandowski (32).

Portugal captain Ronaldo will be 37 by the time the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar but hinted that he intends to be there.

"It doesn't matter the age. What is important is the mind," Ronaldo told BBC Sport, after being named Player of the Century at the Globe Soccer Awards this week.

"It doesn't matter if Cristiano Ronaldo is good, you don't know tomorrow what is going to happen. I live in the present, in the moment.

"The moment is good, I feel happy, I feel sharp and in a good moment in my life. I hope to play many, many years more but you never know."

Ronaldo scored a brace in Juventus' 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on December 8 and followed it up with doubles in Serie A victories over Genoa and Parma – either side of missing a penalty in a draw against Atalanta.

Despite his impressive form, the Bianconeri are sixth in the table, 10 points behind league leaders Milan, and Ronaldo admitted the absence of fans at the Allianz Stadium frustrated him.

"I don't like to play in the stadiums without fans, it's like going to the circus but you don't see clowns," Ronaldo said.

"The pandemic has made people crazy. I hope soon they can open the gates of the stadiums.

"We have to live with that, we have to try to do a normal life but of course we have to respect the rules. But to play without the fans, I really don't like it."

The Juventus and Portugal forward was given the Player of the Century award at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai on Sunday. The prize was given to the player considered the world's best from 2001 to 2020.

Even as the accolades pile up, the 35-year-old admits he is not enjoying the game as much as he did previously, and he puts that down to the pandemic keeping fans locked out of stadiums.

The Serie A season is taking place behind closed doors for now, and reigning champions Juventus have not been the force they were last term, sitting sixth after 13 games.

Ronaldo still appears to be coming up to scratch, with 12 goals in 10 Serie A appearances and another four in four games in the Champions League.

But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner said: "I have to be honest: to play in the stadium empty it's boring in my opinion.

"The players all respect the protocol and the health is the most important, of course.

"But I don't like it, to be honest. I do it because first of all I love football. I play for my family, for my kids, for my friends, for the fans, but I don't like it. It's so weird to play without [fans].

"I like it when the people boo Cristiano - when I touch the ball they go: 'Booo!'

"I hope in '21 they can change the rules and see stadiums full of people."

Ronaldo expressed hope that his 10-year-old son Cristiano Jr could follow in his footsteps and become a professional footballer.

But fitness fanatic Ronaldo joked that the youngster might have to adjust his diet to make it at the highest level.

"I'm hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes. I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything - I don't like it," Ronaldo said.

"Even my small kids, when they eat chocolate they always look at me and we have to be strong.

"But he has potential. He's a big boy, he's fast and he dribbles well. But this takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work.

"I won't push for him to be a football player. If you ask me if I want, yes I want but he's going to be whatever he wants."

Ronaldo, who has won domestic league titles in Spain, England and Italy as well as Euro 2016 with Portugal, appears to be defying his age as he flourishes for Juventus.

Earlier this month he became only the fourth player to ever score at least 33 Serie A goals in a calendar year, and the first since former Juventus forward Omar Sivori in 1961.

Since joining from Real Madrid in July 2018, Ronaldo has netted a remarkable 64 goals in 74 Serie A appearances, at a rate of one goal every 100.5 minutes.

He has also claimed 14 assists and struck the woodwork 13 times in those games.

Yet his latest award will only keep the argument rumbling about whether Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is the greatest player of this generation.

In the same period that Ronaldo has been wreaking devastation in Italy, Messi has continued to lead from the front at Barcelona, scoring 68 goals and supplying 35 assists in 81 LaLiga games.

Messi's league goals in that time have come at a rate of one every 100.1 minutes.

Ronaldo is one of football's all-time greats following his exploits for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juve and Portugal.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is Madrid's record goalscorer, while his honours include five Champions League titles, three Premier League trophies, Euro 2016 glory, two Serie A crowns and as many LaLiga triumphs to go with numerous other silverware.

But when it comes to watching television, Ronaldo revealed his love for combat sports.

"Playing football is my passion, but I prefer watching other sports on TV," Ronaldo told boxing star Gennady Golovkin in a DAZN documentary titled 'Parallel Worlds'.

"Between watching a football match or a boxing or UFC fight, I choose boxing or UFC."

Ronaldo, who has met UFC star Conor McGregor previously, added: "When I was at Manchester United, a coach boxed with me.

"I think practicing boxing is useful for football because it sharpens your senses and you learn to move."

Aged 35, Ronaldo has showed no signs of slowing down in 2020.

Ronaldo celebrated his 100th Juventus appearance with a brace in Sunday's 3-1 Serie A win over Genoa.

Not only was Ronaldo making his 100th Juve appearance, he also became the first player to reach 400 wins across Europe's top five leagues this century.

Additionally, Ronaldo – who has netted 77 times since joining Juve in 2018 – reached 31 goals for the calendar year, making him the third Bianconeri player to reach this milestone in the top flight, and the first since Omar Sivori in 1961.

"Last summer, I had a chat with [heavyweight champion] Anthony Joshua," Ronaldo, who has 10 Serie A goals in seven appearances this term and 14 across all competitions, said.

"At 33 you start to think your legs are going. I want to stay in sport, in football. People will look at me and say: 'Cristiano was an incredible player but now he's slow'. I don't want that.

"You can change a lot about your body, but the problem isn't that. It's depends on your mindset, your motivation and your experience, which I think is the most complex thing.

"In sport, you can gain maturity. Look at [Roger] Federer in tennis; he's 37 or 38 years old and he's still at his peak, and there are some in boxing too."

The full-back was due to see his previous deal expire at the end of the season, although it was widely expected fresh terms would be agreed.

Inter announced the news on Thursday, less than 48 hours after Darmian scored the winning goal in the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Atalanta.

"Hi Inter fans. I'm delighted to keep on wearing these colours. See you at the stadium," Darmian said in a video posted on social media.

Darmian joined Inter in 2020 from Manchester United, initially on loan before making a permanent move the following year.

He was part of the Serie A winning side in his first year at the club and lifted the Coppa Italia last season, as well as the Supercoppa Italiana – a trophy Inter retained last month by beating rivals Milan.

De Laurentiis attended a Lega Serie A general assembly in Milan on Wednesday, meaning other club bosses may be forced to quarantine ahead of the new season.

It was the first physical gathering organised by the league following months of virtual meetings during the coronavirus pandemic.

A Napoli statement read: "SSC Napoli announces that president Aurelio De Laurentiis tested positive for COVID-19 following the swab carried out yesterday."

The 2020-21 campaign is due to begin on September 19, with Napoli in action at Parma the following day.

Aubameyang had five months to run on his Emirates Stadium deal but was told he could join Barca on a free transfer, which is set to be announced by the LaLiga giants on Tuesday.

Despite some confirmed interest from at least one club in England, and the threat of not playing for the rest of the season, Dembele opted to stay put in Catalonia until at least the end of the season.

Those players were discussed heavily throughout deadline day, but arguably the most remarkable transfer happened early on Monday when Christian Eriksen officially joined Brentford.

It marks a return to the Premier League – and indeed a football pitch – for Eriksen, just seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark at Euro 2020 and subsequently being fitted with a heart-starting device.

Newcastle live up to big-spending billing

In their first transfer window under their new ownership, Newcastle United spent more than any side on the continent and rounded things off by bringing in some much-needed defensive options in Dan Burn and Matt Targett.

Boyhood Newcastle fan Burn joined from Brighton and Hove Albion in a reported £13million deal, while left-back Targett will spend the rest of the season at St James' Park on loan from Aston Villa.

But it was not all good news for the Magpies as they missed out on a deal for France Under-20s striker Hugo Ekitike, who is reported to have had second thoughts and decided to remain at Reims. There was also no move for Jesse Lingard.

Tottenham and Juventus the busiest clubs

Antonio Conte was backed by the Tottenham board on deadline day with the arrivals of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski as part of a double deal with Juventus.

Bentancur is reported to have cost Spurs an initial £15.9m (€19m) on a deal that will run through until the end of the 2025-26 season, and he will be joined in north London by Kulusevski on an initial 18-month loan with the option to buy.

It was not all about incoming activity for Tottenham in the final stages of the window, though, as club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele was returned to Lyon for the rest of the season and Bryan Gil and Giovanni Lo Celso were loaned out to LaLiga sides Valencia and Villarreal respectively.

And in a deal that went through more than an hour after the 23:00 GMT cut-off point, Dele Alli joined Everton in a transfer that could potentially earn Spurs £40m should various clauses be triggered.

Having offloaded Bentancur and Kulusevski, meanwhile, Juve further trimmed their squad by allowing Aaron Ramsey to sign for Rangers until the end of the campaign, with those deals offset by the arrival of Denis Zakaria from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Big boys quiet

Manchester City got a deal over the line for Argentina international Julian Alvarez before loaning the young forward straight back to River Plate, but it was otherwise a relatively quiet day for Europe's elite clubs.

Manchester United's only piece of business on Monday was allowing midfield outcast Donny van de Beek join Everton on loan, while Liverpool let Nat Phillips head to Bournemouth for the rest of 2021-22. The second-tier Cherries also signed Todd Cantwell, recently a target for Liverpool, to bolster their promotion ambitions.

Liverpool had hoped to bring in highly rated youngster Fabio Carvalho from Fulham, but a deal is reported to have fallen through shortly before the cut-off point after terms had already been agreed.

There was no such activity for fellow Premier League heavyweights Chelsea, as was the case for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain – despite links with Dembele – Bayern Munich, Inter, Milan and Real Madrid.

But reigning Spanish champions Atletico Madrid did manage to strengthen at left-back by bringing in Reinildo Mandava from French champions Lille.

Other notable deals...

Unsurprisingly, Premier League clubs flexed their financial muscles in a final attempt to strengthen before the deadline.

Crystal Palace turned striker Jean-Philippe Mateta's loan from Mainz into a permanent deal and Burnley signed Wout Weghorst from Wolfsburg, who moved quickly to bring in FC Copenhagen striker Jonas Wind as a replacement.

Elsewhere, Deniz Undav put pen to paper with Brighton before being loaned back to Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The Seagulls also signed Benicio Baker-Boaitey on loan from Porto with a view to a permanent move.

Juventus are poised to re-sign Pogba following his departure from Manchester United, while Inter are pushing to bring Lukaku back from Chelsea following a disappointing year in the Premier League.

Both players will represent marquee additions for the two Serie A title hopefuls as they seek to knock Milan off their perch next season, while also boosting them in the hunt for glory in the Champions League.

Juventus legend Del Piero believes the deals have further significance, however, as he feels they can help to push Italian football to compete with the other top leagues in Europe following a number of years off the pace.

"Now the Premier League is the best football you can see in terms of number of teams that can perform at a high level and what happened in the Champions League, in the Europa League how they performed is the answer," he told ESPN.

“It's a different kind of sport in some moments. It seems in the Premier League you run more, you have more physicality, you are more spectacular. 

"It's not exactly like this because in Italy we have this kind of thing but Italy is struggling now: the national team and also in the club teams.  

"So last season showed a little bit more. Roma's win [in the Europa Conference League] is a good hope for the future in the Europa competitions. 

"So Lukaku for Inter and Pogba for Juve could be a great move also for Italian football to become again stronger and have a voice in the Champions League especially."

Since Inter won the Champions League under Jose Mourinho in 2009-10, Juventus are the only Italian side to have reached the final – losing to Barcelona in 2014-15 and then to Real Madrid two years later.

Florenzi, who joined Valencia on loan in January, was speaking about various subjects during an Instagram Live session earlier this week – one focus being his time at Valencia, his first non-Italian club.

He suggested there was not as much passion for the team as he experienced towards his hometown club Roma, but pointed out the players were subsequently able to enjoy more freedom.

Florenzi has already indicated he expects to return to Roma at the end of the season, with the Italian struggling to make much of an impression on the pitch at Mestalla.

Di Vaio holds fond memories of Valencia and its people following two years with the club until 2006, but he also understands why Florenzi might not appreciate it as much, such is his love for the Eternal City and Roma.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Di Vaio said: "Valencia is a beautiful city, sunny as its citizens.

"Florenzi comes from Rome and when you leave the place you love, it is always hard to appreciate where you are and what you have.

"It happened to me too and to other players I played with, despite arriving in great cities with clubs in favourable conditions.

"When you leave your heart there [where you were], you can't appreciate here [where you are]. What happened in the last six months haven't helped Florenzi to appreciate Valencia at its best.

"He went there to play enough to be at the Euros, but then when it all stopped he may have gone back home and couldn't probably appreciate the city.

"I realise it may have not been easy. But for sure, he will have noticed how warm the city, the people and the fans are and how wonderful the stadium is and how organised the club is."