Transfer News

The Morocco international only arrived in Italy from Real Madrid a year ago and played in 37 of 38 games as his new team claimed the Serie A title under Antonio Conte.

However, with the Italian champions now keen to balance the books, and Conte no longer in charge, they have agreed to sell one of their prized assets in a deal rumoured to be worth around €70million.

Marotta admits losing a player who scored seven league goals from wing-back last term is regrettable, but he believes the transfer fee will go a long way to easing the club's financial concerns.

"Piero Ausilio (sporting director at Inter) was working on it, we are in the conclusive stages. There are some formalities to be completed, but I think within a day or so we can conclude it," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"Obviously, this is a painful moment for us, but I am an administrator who must guarantee the economic sustainability of the club during a difficult time for the world of football in general.

"Once the Hakimi deal is concluded, it will allow us to have a bit of breathing room and we really hope that we will no longer need to sell any other big players, as we want to maintain most of the squad that won the Scudetto."

As well as offering plenty of threat going forward, Hakimi made more tackles (38) than any other Inter defender last season - a fact that underlines how difficult he will be to replace.

Arsenal's Hector Bellerin and Davide Zappacosta of Chelsea have emerged as potential arrivals, but Marotta insisted patience will be key as Inter plan their next move.

"We are a team, working with the coach and various collaborators," he added.

"We must have patience to make the most of opportunities on the transfer market. I don’t expect the big clubs to make many large transfers."

The MLS outfit are owned by a group including former Manchester United, Real Madrid and England great David Beckham, so they are no strangers to big names.

But the arrival of seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi in the United States would likely represent a landmark transfer in the sport's history.

For now, Messi, who had spent his entire club career with Barcelona until last year, is under contract at Paris Saint-Germain for another season, while there is the option for a further 12 months, too.

However, Inter are not giving up hope of recruiting the 35-year-old before he calls time on a legendary career.

The club's chief business officer Xavier Asensi hinted at interest in Messi earlier this week, and Mas doubled down on their transfer market ambition in an interview with Sport as Barca visit Miami in pre-season.

Mas, a co-owner alongside Beckham, said: "Well, look, both David Beckham and I aspire to bring the best players in the world here to Miami.

"[It is] not only because of the project we are creating, because we want to be the benchmark of soccer in the United States, but when you talk about the best players in the world, Leo is obviously the best player on the planet.

"Hopefully the conditions will be for him being there, playing in the shirt of Inter Miami of the United States. We aspire to that. Hopefully the circumstances will arise.

"We have nothing guaranteed, there is no agreement, but I am a very optimistic man, and hopefully in the future Leo Messi can be part of our project."

Miami announced the deal on Wednesday after Atlanta confirmed they had agreed a contract buyout with the player.

Martinez had been with Atlanta since their debut MLS season in 2018 and is the club's record scorer with 111 goals.

In the 2018 season, he teamed up with Miguel Almiron to lead the Five Stripes to MLS Cup glory.

Martinez was the MLS MVP, MLS All-Star MVP and MLS Cup MVP in that campaign, as well as winning the Golden Boot and scoring the opening goal in the title match.

Atlanta went on to win the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup the following year but have increasingly struggled since Almiron's record-breaking move to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

They missed out on the playoffs in two of the past three years, and Martinez has now moved on to join Eastern Conference rivals Miami.

Under Phil Neville, Miami enjoyed their best season in 2022, finishing sixth in the East, but Higuain's retirement had left a gaping hole in their attack.

"Josef is a champion and adding him to our group is exciting for us as we head into the 2023 season," said sporting director Chris Henderson.

"He's been one of the best players in the league since he first arrived and we believe he'll make a difference here at Inter Miami.

"We're adding a proven goalscorer with a track record of success in MLS. We're thrilled to have a player like Josef in our attack."

Martinez added: "I'm excited for the opportunity to represent Inter Miami and give the best of myself.

"This is a club with high aspirations and that aims to be amongst the best in the league. I hope to help the team achieve its objectives and leave my mark at the club."

Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra said: "Josef has played a pivotal role in Atlanta United's history, scoring memorable goals and hoisting multiple trophies for moments that will forever live with our supporters.

"He was a foundational piece who was responsible for helping build our brand into what it is today.

"We cannot thank him enough for his contributions to the club and the community over the last six years. He will always be part of Atlanta United and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours."

Pozuelo, crowned MLS' best player in 2020 in the second of a three-and-a-half-season stay with Toronto, will occupy an International Roster slot and a Designated Player slot for Inter.

Phil Neville's side will pay $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Toronto across two years for the signing of Pozuelo, which is subject to the Spaniard receiving a P-1 Visa.

Toronto will also retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future transfer, while Inter will send additional conditional GAM if Pozuelo meets certain performance-based incentives.

"We're thrilled to be able to welcome a player of Alejandro's calibre," Inter sporting director Chris Henderson said. 

"He has proven himself to be one of the brightest talents in the league and we are confident that will continue here in South Florida.

"We were looking to add a decisive, creative attacking player and we feel he fits the profile."

Prior to joining Toronto, where he scored 30 goals and assisted 34 in 100 appearances across all competitions, Pozuelo played for Real Betis, Swansea City, Rayo Vallecano and Genk.

As well as winning the MVP award two years ago, the 30-year-old was also twice named in the MLS Team of the Season.

"We believe Alejandro will fit right in with our group," head coach Neville said. "He's a player of tremendous quality that we feel can be a real game changer for us.

"We can't wait to integrate him into the squad and are looking forward to seeing him on the pitch in Inter Miami colours."

Pozuelo's departure from Toronto comes amid widespread speculation that the Canadian club are closing in on a move for former Juventus midfielder Federico Bernardeschi.

The Netherlands striker is expected to leave Barca this month, with Inter among the clubs reported to be keen to sign him.

Following Barcelona's signing of Robert Lewandowski, Depay has found first-team opportunities difficult to come by – making just two starts in LaLiga this season.

Depay's lawyer Sebastian Ledure has denied that the 28-year-old, also linked with the likes of Atletico Madrid, could be on his way to San Siro.

"There are no negotiations ongoing for Memphis to join Inter," he told Fabrizio Romano.

"I can deny all these links, it's not a possibility that we are discussing."

The former Lyon and Manchester United forward joined Barca in 2021 and was an unused substitute in the 3-1 Supercopa de Espana victory over Real Madrid on Sunday.

Sensi moved to Serie A rivals Inter on loan with the option of a permanent deal at the start of the 2019-20 season.

Despite injuries marring Sensi's debut season at San Siro and the January arrival of Christian Eriksen, Inter are set to take up their option on the Italian midfielder.

"Sensi will be bought outright by Inter," Carnevali told Ceramicanda.

"There is no doubt, the Nerazzurri's decision is already made."

The season has been postponed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has wreaked havoc globally.

Defending champions Juventus were a point clear of Lazio through 26 games at the time of postponement as officials try to restart the campaign.

Sassuolo were 11th and seven points above the relegation zone in Serie A.

"Prices for players will drop maybe, but ours won't. We're an expensive shop," Carnevali said. "The interruption of Serie A has cost more than €200million. For Sassuolo, it's between €10m and €12m.

"The damage of the season not resuming would rise to €800m and several companies would end up in court: Serie A also drives on B, youth teams, women's football...

"Sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora seems to be experiencing a moment of confusion, but I see new awareness emerging from the government and maximum willingness from clubs to comply with the required safety conditions."

The 31-year-old midfielder joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in 2012 and has won 19 trophies during his time at the Allianz Arena.

However, Martinez has been restricted to just 10 starts in all competitions in 2019-20 and recently entered the final 12 months of his contract.

Rummenigge has opened the door for the Spaniard to move on during the close season, with teams in France and former club Athletic rumoured to be interested.

"We know that he would like to leave the club with a suitable offer," Rummenigge told AZ. 

"We wouldn't put any obstacles in his way because he was always a good player and a reliable, serious person. We will always try to find a solution that suits the player."

Rummenigge also reiterated on Wednesday that fellow midfielder Thiago Alcantara, strongly linked with Liverpool, will only be allowed to leave if his valuation is met.

Bayern are also in talks with versatile defender David Alaba over a new contract, while loanee Philippe Coutinho will return to Barcelona later this month.

The Portugal international has been linked with a move away from the Metropolitano after appearing to criticise Simeone's methods while at the World Cup earlier this month.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been linked with a move for the 23-year-old, whose tally of 33 Atleti goals since his 2019 arrival is only bettered by Luis Suarez (34) in that span. 

While Simeone hinted Joao Felix's exit was in the offing when he warned "no one is essential" last week, the Argentine says the forward must continue to contribute until any move is agreed. 

"We have a good working relationship, beyond some differences that there may be between people. We can't agree on everything," Simeone said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"We have differences, but I always look for the best for the club until the last day that I or the players are there. 

"We squeeze the maximum out of everyone until the last day that I or they are here." 

Joao Felix scored one goal and added two assists as Portugal reached the last eight in Qatar, with his total of three World Cup goal involvements only bettered by two Selecao team-mates – Bruno Fernandes with five and Goncalo Ramos with four.

Simeone called for the forward to replicate that form ahead of Atleti's return to league action against Elche, adding: "What matters to me is the team, and he is important to the team. 

"If he shows us what we saw in the World Cup, he will be very important. He has the conditions and the talent, and the team needs his qualities."

Dybala, 26, is out of contract in 2022, but has been linked with a renewal in Turin after enjoying an impressive season.

Paratici confirmed talks with Dybala were in progress and a fair way down the track, with the playmaker set to stay at Juve.

"We often speak with his entourage and we are moving forward, despite all the difficulties related to the commitments and the movement due to the games that are played every three days," he told Sky Sport.

"Even in this period, we are talking quite frequently and we are well advanced."

Juve clinched a ninth successive Serie A title on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

Paratici was full of praise for coach Maurizio Sarri, who secured the league crown in his first season in charge.

"Sarri has made an incredible climb in his career and he's in the place he deserves to be," he said.

"He is certainly one of the protagonists of our season."

Dybala came off against Sampdoria due to a suspected thigh injury in a worry ahead of the Champions League resuming next month.

The Turkey international arrived from Bundesliga strugglers Schalke in January as Jurgen Klopp looked to ease a major injury crisis at centre-back.

He went on to make nine appearances in the Premier League as the Reds turned their season around to clinch a third-placed finish, though he missed the final five games due to fitness issues of his own.

Liverpool had negotiated an £18million option to buy as part of the loan deal with Schalke, but the chances of that being triggered appeared to be dashed by the signing of Ibrahima Konate in early June.

Kabak has now revealed that to be the case, though he made clear that he has no regrets over his short-term stay at Anfield.

He wrote: "Dear Liverpool family, I would like to thank you for the compassion and support you have shown towards me since the day I arrived. 

"I believe the experience I have gathered during my four months stay here has been a very important one. 

"I have learnt a lot from my manager Jurgen Klopp and all my team-mates and I was proud to be part of this special family. 

"I will always remember my days here at Liverpool with great happiness and the special song which you have kindly gifted me."

Kabak is said to be attracting interest from Leicester City and RB Leipzig as he plots an escape from relegated Schalke.

We combed through the league's first 24 seasons to put together a left-back honour roll. There was no concrete formula for comparing all these players, but only time spent at left-back in MLS was considered for judging.

For instance, Greg Vanney may have spent most of his European club and US national team career on the port side of defence, but the easy majority of his MLS games came as a centre back. Meanwhile, Ashley Cole was a bona fide star left-back for years in Europe, but that splendid CV and his overall quality couldn't help him measure up here.

It was incredibly difficult to narrow the list down to 10, and even harder to rank everyone; if you asked me to do this exercise next week, the order below would likely be shuffled. With such tough choices, it should be no wonder that we're left with a deep, impressive honourable mentions group: José Burciaga, Paul Caligiuri, Wilman Conde, Ramiro Corrales, Joe Franchino, Diego Gutiérrez, Jordan Harvey, Joevin Jones, Rónald Matarrita, Ambroise Oyongo and Heath Pearce.

The model of consistent solidity beat out some pretty good players to sneak into the list. He's as reliable in his own end as he's been supporting possession for a decade. Now with the New England Revolution, Sinovic was another reliable part of several good Sporting KC teams, racking up 254 appearances, an MLS Cup and three US Open Cup triumphs with the club. 

Chris Wingert

In an MLS age when many teams struggled to find a dependable up-and-down left-back, Real Salt Lake didn't usually have that problem. Wingert worked 289 total contests for the Rio Tinto bunch, and helped them raise MLS Cup in 2009. The Long Island native was a field asset from the jump, stepping up as a rookie to help Columbus Crew SC claim its first Supporters Shield.

Jonathan Bornstein

The Chicago Fire veteran is one of just eight players who have earned Best XI honours for playing exclusively as a left-back. He was also good enough to be one of only three players on this list to play in a World Cup. Before spending several years in Mexico and Israel, Bornstein ably darted up and down the flank in 139 total Chivas USA contests.

Jeff Agoos

Yes, a good portion of Agoos' career was spent at centre back, including the entirety of a fruitful second act with the San Jose Earthquakes. In the early days, however, he was the power left back in MLS. Most concerned with defending, but also an underrated long passer, he manned the station as D.C. United won a pile of trophies.

DaMarcus Beasley

Who knew during his accomplished earlier MLS stint as a winger Run DMB would eventually return past 30 to rate out as a top left-back. There were plenty of open roads to attack in the six years Beasley spent playing the position for the Houston Dynamo, but they rarely ran through his sector. His one-touch ability in the build also made life good for the attackers in front of him.

Gonzalo Segares

For the first half of his 255 Chicago Fire outings, Segares was a key cog on a pretty exciting team that always seemed to fall just short on the last step to MLS Cups but eased its agony a little with an Open Cup crown. The Costa Rican spent the remainder as one of the few steady contributors on a team falling apart. Through all of it, he was a slick customer whether taking the ball away or moving it forward.

Wade Barrett

For more than a decade, Barrett was an under-heralded flank bulldog for some terrific teams in San Jose and Houston. Well, we're here for some overdue heralding. He was a tough, speedy jack of all left back trades who would run through a wall to win. And win he did, celebrating an MLS Cup and a Supporters' Shield with the Quakes before captaining the Dynamo to consecutive titles.

Todd Dunivant

There's a lot of guys known for consistency in this ranking, but perhaps no one was maintained an unwavering level of play for longer than Dunivant. Week in and week out, he was organized with the ball and active at the back. After a very impressive rookie season contributed to an MLS Cup win in San Jose, he went on to play the lion's share of his 306 MLS games (and win four more Cups) with the LA Galaxy.

Kemar Lawrence

Everyone else in this list played well more than his 129 league games, but the Reggae Boy was good enough in his five Red Bulls seasons to have a strong top spot case. It was nearly impossible to get behind Lawrence when you came his way, and few left-backs anywhere shifted gears from defence to the overlap faster. He'll now be keeping opposing flankers brutally honest for Belgian giants Anderlecht.

Justin Morrow

The Toronto FC mainstay has basically been a poster boy for this position for a full decade now. Whether used as a wingback (which counts in this ranking) or a more textbook left-back role, Morrow raids forward with skill and supplemental end product. He's an underrated defender who's routinely among the top tacklers in the league.

He's an eager, adept build booster — left-shading attack stars like Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez don't shine as much without Morrow supporting and spurring their rushes. It's no accident he helped spark turnarounds in both San Jose and Toronto, or he's had a hand in two Supporters Shield wins and three MLS Cup appearances along the way.

Messi has been linked with a move away from Camp Nou ever since he expressed a desire to leave the club in August 2020, only to decide to stay until at least the end of this season when his contract expires, having been unable to force a transfer.

In a recent interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta the Argentina forward said he "did not know" what he was going to do but suggested he would like to play in the United States at some point.

With former Tottenham boss and compatriot Pochettino heavily tipped to become the new coach at PSG it has been suggested Messi and the Ligue 1 club could be a good fit, particularly with Neymar keen to reunite with his old team-mate.

But Barcelona head coach Koeman does not think there is an automatic correlation between the two.

"I do not know if it is true about Pochettino to PSG," Koeman told a media conference on Monday. "If Messi decides his future, it will not depend on a coach.

"I did not see the [Messi] interview live, but I have seen it. I have always been calm with Messi and I will not be calmer because he said that he will decide at the end of the season.

"We'll see what can happen. I appreciate Messi's words because he is a very important player for the club and for football. 

"Anyone likes to speak well of oneself. I'm still the same. I try to move the team forward, it is a year of transition and Messi is key to this process."

Barca are enduring a difficult season in LaLiga and are in fifth spot, eight points behind leaders Atletico Madrid.

Messi will miss his side's LaLiga clash with Eibar on Tuesday while he completes treatment on an ankle injury but Koeman expects him to return from a Christmas break as planned before they face Huesca on January 3.

"Leo had ankle discomfort, that's why we have given him two more days of vacation," Koeman explained. "The doctor has said that after a week without training he will be fine.

"Not having a Messi is big loss due to his quality and effectiveness. We lose a great player."

The Blaugrana are boosted by the return of Ousmane Dembele following the French forward's troubles with a hamstring injury, as Koeman defended his decision to give players more rest time over the festive period.

Koeman added: "Dembele is fine, he has been training with the team for days. In principle he will be called up [to the squad].

"We have three training sessions before Eibar. Sometimes a break is a training session for a player. In such a tight schedule you have to let the players rest. It is no problem that they have four days off."

Madrid are reported to have had three bids turned down for the France international in July and August, the last one said to be worth up to €200million.

However, Mbappe is due to become a free agent at the end of the season and can therefore secure a pre-contract agreement with Madrid – or any other foreign club – from the start of January.

Kroos has previously talked up the prospect of his side bringing in Mbappe and remains eager to link up with the 22-year-old in 2022.

"In the summer, I already said that I would like a player like him to come, but if he doesn't, we have a good team," he told Goal.

"Let's see what happens in the future. It is difficult for me to say, because I am not the one who decides. 

"His quality has not changed – he is a good player and what we know is that Madrid wanted to sign him but in the end they didn't succeed. Everything continues, also without Mbappe here.

"I think we are doing well and for the future my opinion has not changed: the best players have to be at Madrid, and he is sure to be one of them."

Mbappe has four goals and five assists in 10 games this term – only international team-mates Karim Benzema and Paul Pogba (both seven) have set up more goals in all competitions among players from Europe's top five leagues.

The PSG star has gone five matches without finding the net himself, however, after failing to add a goal to his assist for Lionel Messi in Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League win over Manchester City.

While PSG were claiming a deserved victory over fellow heavyweights City, Madrid slumped to one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history as they fell 2-1 to Sheriff.

That was just Los Blancos' second defeat in 32 group-stage games at the Santiago Bernabeu, having previously lost to CSKA Moscow in December 2018.

Madrid have otherwise made a positive start to Carlo Ancelotti's second spell in charge, and Kroos, who made his first appearance of the season as a second-half substitute against Sheriff, believes the Italian's methods have changed over time, having been signed during his previous stint.

"Yes, there is a difference, but our relationship still remains very good," he said. 

"I had a good relationship with him in 2014. I haven't played many games so far [this season], so I can't say exactly what has changed because I haven't had many talks with him."

The Galaxy used Targeted Allocation Money to bring the 22-year-old to Major League Soccer after he was deemed surplus to requirements by Barca coach Xavi.

LaLiga giants Barca have the right to re-sign Puig and will be entitled to 50 per cent of any transfer fee he commands when he leaves Los Angeles.

Puig joined the Catalan club from Jabac Terrassa as an under-16 player in 2013 and went on to made 57 senior appearances for the Blaugrana, scoring twice.

"We are pleased to welcome Riqui to the LA Galaxy," said Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney. "Riqui is a very technical and well-educated player with incredible experiences for his age. He will fit seamlessly into our group and style of play."

Galaxy technical director Jovan Kirovski said: "Riqui is a very talented player with a unique profile that brings something different to our squad."

Puig won the LaLiga title with Barca three years ago and lifted the Copa del Rey in 2021.

Chelsea are reported to have already had multiple offers knocked back for the 21-year-old, the most recent of which was said to be worth £45million.

Lampard's former side Chelsea could yet make another approach prior to Thursday's deadline, with boss Thomas Tuchel hinting he is hopeful of further additions.

While Wesley Fofana has been overlooked for selection by Leicester City ahead of a move to Chelsea, and Willy Boly allegedly refused to play against Newcastle United as he seeks a move away from Wolves, Lampard does not expect any such problems from Gordon.

"Anthony wouldn't, shouldn't, couldn't do that with me. If he did try and sit out a game he'd see a different side to me," Lampard told reporters. "There's no doubt about that and I think he knows that.

"I'm not playing the hard one – it's just that it would be so alien from what I'd expect from him. I just know that's not him. 

"At the same time he's not a robot and all this attention is difficult. I understand that – I was that ambitious young player.

"That's the beauty of Anthony. He's hard working and he wants to be better. He wants to do what he did [on Saturday], which is score goals, run for this team, and that’s why he's a delight to work with. So there was never any idea that Anthony would act that way."

Gordon's goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brentford – extending Everton's winless start to the Premier League season to four matches – was his fifth in 64 appearances for the Toffees in all competitions.

He has played a full part in all four of this side's league games this term and Lampard intends to select the winger against Leeds United on Tuesday, regardless of the ongoing gossip.

"He's in the squad Tuesday, for sure," Lampard said. "His character's great. He's in the squad."

When it was put to Lampard that he had been in a similar position prior to leaving boyhood club West Ham for London rivals Chelsea in 2001, the former England international pointed out Gordon has only been a first-team regular for one season.

"I played three-and-a-half, four seasons for West Ham, so there's my answer for Anthony. He's played one for us," Lampard said.

"He's a huge player for us. We're getting towards the end of the window now and Anthony's a huge player for us and will be this season."

Lampard also confirmed Mason Holgate is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury sustained against Brentford, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Abdoulaye Doucoure remain on the sidelines, but new signing Neal Maupay may feature at Elland Road.

Messi is out of contract at the end of the season and the Argentine's long-term future with Barca remains unclear.

The 33-year-old sent shockwaves through the world of football when he expressed a desire to end his near two-decade association with the Blaugrana ahead of the 2020-21 season, but after a lengthy transfer saga he opted to stay put.

An end to the tenure of Josep Maria Bartomeu – with whom Messi has had a tense relationship – as president in October has prompted the club to bring forward their elections to January 24.

Laporta, who served as Barca president between 2003 and 2010, is considered the leading candidate to triumph in the elections according to a poll in Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

Since his debut in October 2004, Barca have won 55.9 per cent of their LaLiga games without Messi (won 66, drawn 39 and lost 22), compared to 73.7 per cent with him in the side (won 368, drawn 83 and lost 48).

And Laporta believes his own personal relationship with Messi elevates him above other presidential candidates. 

"I see him [Messi] as positive because he said he will wait until the end of the season, and that gives us time to make a convincing proposal," Laporta told Marca.

"And I have an advantage, with Leo I have credibility. He always tells me that everything I promised him was fulfilled. You know that if I give my word, I keep it.

"We missed huge opportunities having the best player in the world. At Barca there are no transition years.

"We should have won more Champions Leagues, we hope to resume that success story of Barca with the competition. By the way, during my [previous] tenure Madrid did not win any."

Other candidates have made bold claims about which players they will bring to Camp Nou if they were elected.

Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland plus Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have been the most high-profile names, but Laporta would not be drawn on transfer targets.

"I have my own sports project. I will not fall into the trap of naming names," he added.

"All the agents are calling me. I know them all and they want me to be president again, but I tell them that now I'm not talking about players or coaches."

Laporta also believes Barca's influence has diminished in recent years and he would seek to restore their standing.

"It has lost a lot of specific weight in the Spanish Football Federation, LaLiga, UEFA, FIFA and in all the bodies that govern football," he explained.

"Barca has to regain its credibility. We must have a presence to intervene in decision-making that affects football in general."

Martinez was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona throughout the 2019-20 season, with the player even discussing a possible switch to Camp Nou with fellow Argentine Lionel Messi.

However, the 23-year-old instead opted to stick around at San Siro, remaining a key part of Antonio Conte's squad as the Nerazzurri secured a first Serie A title since 2010.

Inter had finished second in the previous season but have kicked on after that disappointment, running away from their rivals since the turn of the year to be crowned champions and end Juventus' nine-year dominance in the competition.

"I am very happy to be at Inter, even more so after this Scudetto which has been missing for so many years," Martinez said in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.

"We are experiencing an incredible moment and I cannot think of anything other than being here.

"I was close to Barcelona, I had also spoken with Messi. Afterwards, I made a choice - I chose to stay here and I was not wrong."

Martinez's combination with Lukaku has been a key factor for Inter, the pair scoring 75 league goals between them in their two seasons together at the club.

Lukaku has been a revelation since joining from Manchester United. After 23 goals in his debut Serie A campaign, he is at 22 this time around with two games to play, as well as providing 11 assists.

The Belgian striker has been ruthless too, converting 52.8 per cent of what Opta describes as 'big' chances, which is where a player is expected to score.

Martinez – who has 16 goals and five assists in the league in 2020-21 – believes the dynamic duo have continually pushed each other to raise the bar under Conte, in part due to the competition provided by having the experienced Alexis Sanchez in the squad.

"We built our relationship from the first day he arrived," Martinez said of Lukaku.

"The year before he had watched Inter's matches and we talked about this for two or three hours after the first training session. He speaks Spanish, we understood each other immediately.

"I always tell him that there is a match between the three of us, because every training session we try to improve and give our best.

"Each one has taken a step forward this year and this is important for the growth of Inter and this group."

The move is subject to Llorente passing a medical at Leeds in a deal that reportedly could reach £18.7million (€20m).

The former Real Madrid centre-back joined Sociedad in 2017 following successful loan spells at Rayo Vallecano and Malaga in LaLiga.

A statement issued by his club read: "Real Sociedad would like to thank Diego for the professionalism and commitment shown during the three years that he has been here, at the same time wishing him the best for his personal and professional future."

Spain international Llorente will likely have to compete with captain Liam Cooper and new signing Robin Koch for a starting place in the centre of defence.

Leeds have three points from their opening two Premier League games, having bounced back from losing 4-3 at Liverpool to defeat Fulham by the same scoreline.

Bundesliga side Leipzig have agreed to pay Trabzonspor €10m to terminate Sorloth's loan from Palace, which was due to run until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The Premier League side will also receive €10m (£9.3m) up front, with a further €2m (£1.9m) payable in add-ons to be split between Palace and Trabzonspor.

Norway international Sorloth, 24, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at the Red Bull Arena after scoring 24 goals in 34 Super Lig appearances last season.

Despite the arrival of Hwang Hee-chang from Salzburg, Julian Nagelsmann was still keen to bolster his attacking options after seeing Timo Werner leave for Chelsea and Patrik Schick join Bayer Leverkusen after his loan from Roma ended.

"After the initial talks, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to play for RB Leipzig," said Sorloth.

"The club were impressive in the league last season, and even more so in the Champions League.

"The attacking brand of football that Julian Nagelsmann plays suits me well. I'm looking forward to challenge together in the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League."

CEO Oliver Mintzlaff added: "We're very pleased with the signing of Alexander Sorloth. Successfully pulling off this complex transfer was only made possible thanks to the good co-operation among our team, who I'd expressly like to thank.

"Not only does Alexander fit our philosophy perfectly, he is a tough centre forward who can also play out wide, who is the missing piece to our squad-planning puzzle this season."

Prior to 2019-20, Sorloth's best return in a league season was 13 goals from 26 appearances for Bodo/Glimt in the 2015 Eliteserien.

Spells with Groningen, Midtjylland, Palace and Gent preceded his move to Trabzonspor last year.

The deal includes an option for Champions League semi-finalists Leipzig to purchase Angelino permanently on a deal until 2025.

Leipzig signed the left-back on loan in January and he scored one goal and supplied five assists in 18 appearances for the club.

"I'm very happy that I'm staying in Leipzig and that we can continue our journey together," said Angelino.

"The first six months with RBL were great; I had a lot of playing time from the start, I like the way the coach and the team approach the game. We also had a strong season in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

"I'm looking forward to the future and many more successful moments."

Leipzig sporting director Markus Krosche added: "Angel needed little time to get used to our game and found his way around our approach right from the start.

"He played a strong second half of the season and helped us achieve our goals at the Champions League level.

"We are therefore very happy he will now wear the RB Leipzig jersey for at least one more season."

City first signed Angelino in 2012 but sold him to PSV following loan spells at New York City, Girona, Mallorca and NAC Breda.

They triggered a buy-back clause in the PSV deal in July 2019 and he made 12 appearances before being loaned out to Leipzig.