Manchester United are joining Milan in the chase for midfielder Davide Frattesi, with Sassuolo reportedly willing to cash in on him if their asking price is met.
Frattesi, 23, burst onto the scene this past season after returning from three consecutive loan stints in Serie B, earning 35 league starts before taking a step forward this term with three goals in nine games.
His rapid ascension earned him his first senior international cap for Italy in June, and he has since started in big Nations League fixtures against Germany and England.
There was a belief he could leave the club this past transfer window, when Sassuolo also sold Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham, but his continued improvement means he could be gone in January.
TOP STORY – UNITED PONDER MOVE FOR SASSUOLO'S FRATTESI
According to Calciomercato, United sent scouts to Sassuolo to get a closer look at the six-foot tall midfielder, and were told he could be available for a price of €35million.
United may find that a bit rich after recent reports their financial position will only allow them to make a move for one of Jude Bellingham or Frenkie de Jong, but they could receive a cash injection of their own if they are to part ways with 23-year-old defender Diogo Dalot. Calciomercato also claims Dalot wishes to leave the club, and Juventus have a strong interest in him.
Frattesi's contract ties him to the Serie A side until 2026, giving them all the leverage in the negotiation, and with Milan's interest already established, that price tag may not be an unreasonable demand.
ROUND-UP
– Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting Juventus are preparing a January move for Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who will only have 18 months remaining on his contract.
– After reportedly turning down a bid of €60m from Paris Saint-Germain in the most recent transfer window, Tuttosport now claims Inter will accept a bid in the range of €25m for centre-back Milan Skriniar in January, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
– Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg believes PSV forward Cody Gakpo has no interest in joining Leeds United, who are said to have launched a move for him on deadline day, and will instead hold out for a bigger move.
– According to Record, Tottenham are keen on signing 21-year-old Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte, although his price is believed to be set at €80m.
– The Athletic are reporting Erling Haaland has a €200m release clause in his Manchester City contract that can be activated by any team outside of England as soon as 2024.
Eidevall slams 'amateurish' WSL after Arsenal fixture congestion
Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall slammed the "amateurish behaviour" of the Women's Super League, who he feels are damaging English teams' chances of success in European competition.
The Gunners are one of three English teams competing in the Women's Champions League group stages this season, along with Manchester City and Chelsea.
All three are due to commence their campaigns in midweek, but while Arsenal and City are in WSL action on Sunday, Chelsea's scheduled clash with Manchester United was postponed due to player welfare concerns.
Eidevall's side, who face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, then take on the Blues three days later, and the head coach feels his side are at a "sporting disadvantage" with their fixture congestion.
"It's not a good situation," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's clash with Everton. "There are 16 teams involved in the Champions League, how many teams are playing on Sunday, October 6?
"We are, that is one. If it was only us, it would be an Arsenal problem - but it's also Man City. The only two teams that are playing are English teams. The only other team scheduled to play was Chelsea.
"[It's the] first time that three [English] teams reach the group stage. [It] should be celebrated, but it's now a problem. It's very important for the whole league that we are successful in Europe.
"Now, obviously, it's worse for us because of the amateurish behaviour of no plan and taking away the game like Chelsea.
"It puts us into play on Sunday, then Wednesday away at Bayern Munich, who don't play Sunday, then we return to play Chelsea on Saturday (October 12).
"[That is] less preparation than our opponents. We have been handed a sporting disadvantage in two huge games for us."
Nevertheless, Eidevall insists his players will tackle the busy period head on, rather than feel sorry for themselves.
"We won't lie down and give up because the situation is tough," he said. "We will dig deeper than we ever have before, but what needs to change is the approach to Champions League football and respect to the supporters.
"It's not good enough to blame UEFA, the only one who hasn't acted on the information is the WSL."
Premier League rejects Man City request to delay 2025-26 season start
The Premier League has rejected a request from Manchester City to delay the start to their 2025-26 campaign to allow for more recovery time after the Club World Cup.
As 2022-23 Champions League winners, City are one of two English clubs – alongside Chelsea – to have secured a spot at FIFA's first 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States next year.
The tournament's expanded format has proven extremely controversial, provoking widespread criticism for denying players rest time during the off-season.
Players' union Fifpro has started legal proceedings against FIFA over the scheduling of the tournament, claiming the fixture schedule has become "unworkable".
The Club World Cup is set to run from June 15 to July 13, with players involved unlikely to receive substantial rest time before the domestic season begins in early August.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham, boss Pep Guardiola revealed City had already seen a request to delay their opening game knocked back.
"The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery," Guardiola said. "Thank you so much.
"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed.
"Would the Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not. They won't postpone these games so there will be a moment of, 'what do we do?
"I don't have an answer right now but we are going to take a decision with common sense."
Suarez: Bielsa has 'divided' Uruguay national team with tactics and approach
Luis Suarez feels Marcelo Bielsa's coaching style has "divided" Uruguay's national team, as he revealed the negative atmosphere within the camp during the Copa America.
Suarez retired from international duty last month as Uruguay's leading scorer with 69 goals, while his tally of 143 caps is only bettered by Diego Godin (161).
The veteran forward was part of the side that finished third at the Copa America in July; La Celeste's best performance at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2011.
However, he revealed it was not a happy camp in the United States, where Bielsa's tactics and approach caused friction among the players.
Suarez said some were contemplating their international futures, while he was critical of the treatment of midfielder Agustin Canobbio, who was used as a "sparring partner".
"I will ask the fans not to take it out on the players when things go wrong," the Inter Miami forward told DSports. "Bielsa has divided the whole group because of the way he trains.
"The players will reach a limit, they'll explode. There were even team-mates who said to me they were only playing in the Copa America and nothing else.
"We all know that he doesn't like to deal with leaders or players with experience. I had to keep quiet out of respect for the national team and for the sake of coexistence. I didn't want to be part of the problem.
"A player who is one of the 26 selected for the Copa America can't be made to participate as if he were a 'sparring' partner. It's annoying. I understand Agustin. I'll support him, he's been holding back a lot.
"The staff are not allowed to come in and greet us or eat with us. Many of the players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say: 'good morning'. He didn't even say hello. It hurts me to see what the national team is going through."
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