Roma coach Jose Mourinho suggested Nicolo Zaniolo is "unfortunately" likely to remain at the club after the winger reportedly failed to agree terms on a move to Bournemouth.
The Italy international had been strongly linked with several teams since the start of January, with Tottenham initially appearing to be his most likely destination.
But after Spurs signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal, their need for additional reinforcements out wide reduced, with Bournemouth subsequently emerging as frontrunners.
Mourinho confirmed last Sunday that Zaniolo asked to leave, and media reports this week indicated Roma and Bournemouth reached an agreement on a deal worth an initial £26.3million (€30m).
Zaniolo's seeming reluctance to join the Cherries has Mourinho now expecting the player to stay, though he did not hide his frustration regarding the player's hesitance despite being open about wanting out.
"Unfortunately, it seems that I'm right. Unfortunately, what I said after Spezia [that he expects Zaniolo to still be at Roma on February 1] seems it's coming true," Mourinho told reporters ahead of Sunday's trip to leaders Napoli, which Zaniolo will miss.
Mourinho was then asked why he perceived it to be an unfortunate situation.
"Because the player has been saying he wants to go for a month," the Portuguese coach replied.
"After Spezia, I gave Monday off, while Tuesday was an optional training session. All the players who didn't play in La Spezia trained, many players who did play came anyway. These are the players coaches want.
"Even those who don't play must think that the team might need him. I want these players.
"If a player always tells everyone he doesn't want to wear the Roma shirt, I have to say 'unfortunately'.
"The ideal situation is that the player is happy. I said that I expected him to stay, but today I add 'unfortunately'.
"Today I say again that Zaniolo won't be available, that we focus on the match and that my focus is on the players who will be there. It's not the case with Zaniolo."
Bournemouth revealing themselves as a potential destination for Zaniolo struck many as surprising considering their stature in the game – only getting promoted back to the Premier League last season – and the player's own reputation, given he was once deemed Italy's next great hope.
But Mourinho did not seem particularly shocked as he looked to explain the financial might of England's top tier.
"Everything happens because of TV rights. A clear picture is the English Championship play-off final. You have more money on the table even than the Champions League final.
"That says it all: it's a completely different economic power. The Premier League, an economic view, is stronger than Serie A. Maybe Juventus could compete [with Premier League clubs], but the others can't."
Wales promotion 'hasn't sunk in' for Bellamy after 4-1 Iceland win
Wales secured promotion to League A after beating Iceland 4-1 at home in their final Nations League group match, having gone a goal down early on.
Their victory, alongside a 3-1 defeat for Turkiye away to Montenegro, means that Craig Bellamy's side topped their group by a point.
"The feeling hasn't quite sunk in yet, but it's been a real positive camp Whatever the result of this game, it's just been a positive camp," said Bellamy after the match.
"The targets we set right from the start, I feel we've been able to achieve."
Wales started the day knowing they needed to win and for results to go their way to top the group, but went a goal down after seven minutes after Andri Gudjohnsen followed up from a Danny Ward save.
It was the first goal Wales had conceded at home in 321 minutes and the first time they had been behind under Bellamy, but they responded well. The hosts managed to control the rest of the half, with Lewis Cullen scoring twice in the final 15 minutes of the first period.
The determination of his team to stick to the plan was something that pleased Bellamy immensely.
"There were one or two tests today that I feel we've been able to progress [through]. If they had happened one or two games ago, we might not have been able to.
"Where we're at, you go 1-0 down in the first few minutes and you get a performance like that.
"Then after that, when the crowd get a little bit edgy and try to force things for us... No, no. We keep the ball because we believe that's going to benefit us, and the players were able to do that."
In the second half, Wales were able to dominate and bagged goals from Brennan Johnson and Harry Wilson to make things more comfortable.
"I thought we took control of the tempo of the game and we're a good team if we're able to do that," said Bellamy.
On promotion itself, the Wales manager could not overstate the importance of being able to mix with the biggest teams in international football in Europe.
"For where we want to be and where we want to go, it's huge. It's so important for us," he said.
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Jonathan David names Barcelona as dream club amid Lille uncertainty
Jonathan David admits it is his dream to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Lille contract.
The Canada international is into his fifth season with the Ligue 1 side but is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Lille have attempted to persuade David with a new deal, though he looks set to depart Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – potentially as early as January if a club is prepared to pay a transfer fee.
However, while the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the campaign before taking the next step in his career.
"Going to a club midseason is never easy," he told The Athletic. "It's not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel.
"In January, things are very hectic. It's about right now. It's tougher."
"[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it's your dream to play for them.
"Some people might say, 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not getting better'. But for me, there's always opportunities to get better."
David has scored 13 goals in 19 games for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored via his stronger right boot, four with his left and one with his head – an area the forward accepts he can still improve.
"Aerially, I can get better," he said. "Getting that header on target and scoring.
"I can get in good positions and win headers but the finishing touch, I'm still missing. With my back to goal, I can also get better."
David is averaging a goal every 112 minutes across all competitions this season, which compares to one every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022-23.
However, he still has some way to go to match the 18 goals scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
"Things are good right now because I'm scoring goals," David said.
"But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me, it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life."
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