It is easy to imagine how Manchester United landed on Casemiro's name in the week that followed their shambolic 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
United were preyed upon by the Brentford press, giving up three chances and two goals from high turnovers as Christian Eriksen – a false nine in their previous match – ended up as the deepest midfielder and struggled badly.
Through two games, no Premier League side allowed more shots following high turnovers than United (eight).
At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.
Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford was confirmed ahead of Monday's game against Liverpool, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully.
The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?
No more 'McFred'
Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.
The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.
Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).
However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.
And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.
Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.
Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.
Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).
Carrying United's hopes
There was an obvious appeal to the attempted signing of De Jong, who would have offered something different to the United midfield.
Highly skilled with the ball at his feet, De Jong's carries progressed the play 113.6 metres upfield per 90 last season. Ahead of playing Liverpool, United's five midfielders (Fred, McTominay, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek) had progressed the ball only 384m combined so far this season – or 192m per 90.
Casemiro clearly cannot offer this dynamism either, given he carried the ball just 54.3m upfield per 90 last term.
And United could seemingly still benefit from a player of De Jong's talents, as Casemiro is used to being able to rely on others in midfield to fulfil this role; he was by far Madrid's least progressive midfield carrier in 2021-22, behind Toni Kroos (80.6m), Luka Modric (85.7m), Eduardo Camavinga (91.1m) and Federico Valverde (133.3m).
But considering the difficulties in getting that deal done with Barcelona, United's scattergun approach has at least – via Rabiot – picked out a player capable of helping them both with and without the ball.
No Premier League team conceded more goals than United through the first two matchweeks of the season, while they only netted themselves courtesy of an own goal.
One man alone may not be able to get United's season back on track, but Casemiro is primed to give it a good go.
Adrien Rabiot will play for Juventus at Sampdoria on Monday, just days after his move to Manchester United collapsed, manager Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.
The Bianconeri boss has also not ruled out further arrivals before the transfer window shuts, after a busy off-season for the Serie A heavyweights.
Rabiot looked set to bring the curtain down on his time in Turin with a move to the Premier League earlier this month, with new United boss Erik ten Hag looking to bolster his ranks after a slow start to the new campaign.
But despite the two clubs agreeing a fee, it was reported that the deal fell through when terms could not be successfully brokered with the player.
It means Rabiot looks destined to remain at Allianz Stadium for another season - and now Allegri has confirmed the France international will feature in Monday's clash with Sampdoria.
"Rabiot will play tomorrow," he stated. "On the transfer market, [with] players, it is normal that there are chances that they can leave and that the club will ask if the player is available."
Having scraped their way to Champions League football again last term, Allegri has strengthened with the recruitment of Angel Di Maria, Filip Kostic, Bremer and Paul Pogba in the transfer window, the latter returning from United.
But the Frenchman's injury record will see him miss the first few weeks of the season, and his boss is keeping his powder dry when it comes to further additions.
"Regardless of the transfer market, we must do our best with the squad we have available," he added. "We are doing a lot these months. without being distracted."
It is easy to imagine how Manchester United landed on Casemiro's name in the week that followed their shambolic 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
United were preyed upon by the Brentford press, giving up three chances and two goals from high turnovers as Christian Eriksen – a false nine in their previous match – ended up as the deepest midfielder and struggled badly.
Through two games, no Premier League side have allowed more shots following high turnovers than United (eight).
At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.
Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford appears imminent, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully.
The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?
No more 'McFred'
Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.
The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.
Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).
However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.
And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.
Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.
Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.
Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).
Carrying United's hopes
There was an obvious appeal to the attempted signing of De Jong, who would have offered something different to the United midfield.
Highly skilled with the ball at his feet, De Jong's carries progressed the play 113.6 metres upfield per 90 last season. United's five midfielders (Fred, McTominay, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek) have progressed the ball only 384m combined so far this season – or 192m per 90.
Casemiro clearly cannot offer this dynamism either, given he carried the ball just 54.3m upfield per 90 last term.
And United could seemingly still benefit from a player of De Jong's talents, as Casemiro is used to being able to rely on others in midfield to fulfil this role; he was by far Madrid's least progressive midfield carrier in 2021-22, behind Toni Kroos (80.6m), Luka Modric (85.7m), Eduardo Camavinga (91.1m) and Federico Valverde (133.3m).
But considering the difficulties in getting that deal done with Barcelona, United's scattergun approach has at least – via Rabiot – picked out a player capable of helping them both with and without the ball.
No Premier League team has conceded more goals at this early stage than United, while they have only netted themselves courtesy of an own goal.
One man alone may not be able to get United's season back on track, but Casemiro is primed to give it a good go.
Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.
The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.
TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA
Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.
The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.
It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.
ROUND-UP
– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.
– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.
– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.
– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.
– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.
– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.
– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.
– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.
Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.
The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.
TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA
Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.
The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.
It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.
ROUND-UP
– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.
– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.
– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.
– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.
– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.
– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.
– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.
– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.
Aaron Ramsey has been left out of Juventus' squad for their pre-season tour of the United States amid reports the midfielder wants his contract terminated in Turin.
The Wales international struggled for appearances last season before he was considered surplus to requirements as Massimiliano Allegri sent him on loan to Rangers.
Ramsey helped the Scottish Premiership side to the Europa League final but missed a penalty in the shoot-out as Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the trophy in Seville.
The 31-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his contract with Juve, but reports suggest he wants to cut short his deal to end a frustrating and injury-marred spell with the Serie A side.
Cardiff City are said to be among front-runners to sign Ramsey – who played just 97 Serie A minutes last season – with Burnley, Rangers and a host of MLS sides also linked to the midfielder.
Ramsey will want to be playing regular first-team club football ahead of going to the World Cup with Wales in November.
As Juventus head off the US, where they face C.D. Guadalajara, Barcelona and Real Madrid, Federico Chiesa is another to have been left out of the 27-man squad as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.
There are also injury concerns Mattia De Sciglio, Kaio Jorge and Arthur, who is reportedly a target for Arsenal should Mikel Arteta not be able to sign Leicester City star Youri Tielemans.
Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot had already confirmed on Wednesday that he would miss the tour due to "personal reasons" and was subsequently left out of Allegri's squad that was announced the following day.
Gleison Bremer, Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria have all been included as Juventus prepare to see their new arrivals in action.
Adrien Rabiot will miss Juventus' tour of the United States for "personal reasons".
The France international confirmed on Instagram that he will not travel to the USA with his team-mates on Thursday.
"In agreement with the club and for personal reasons, I will stay in Italy to finish my physical training." the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder wrote.
Rabiot has just a year remaining on his contract with the Bianconeri.
The 27-year-old has been linked with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester United.
Rabiot made 45 appearances in all competitions last season and the 32 times he featured in Serie A was more than any other Juve midfielder.
His 43 tackles won in Serie A was the most by a Juve midfielder in the 2021-22 campaign, while he had an impressive pass completion rate of 83.3.
The Turin giants face Club Deportivo Guadalajara at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday before taking on Barcelona in Dallas next Tuesday, then come up against Real Madrid in Los Angeles four days later.
Having finishing 15 points behind champions Real Madrid in LaLiga season, Atletico Madrid are in a bit of a rebuilding process.
While Hector Herrera, Luis Suarez and Sime Vrsaljko head for the exit, Saul Niguez and Alvaro Morata return from loans, with Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel potentially also signing on a free transfer.
Reports suggest that Atleti are also particularly keen on keeping one of Witsel's international team-mates.
TOP STORY – ATLETI TO WARD OFF CARRASCO INTEREST
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is unwilling to let go of Yannick Carrasco amid growing interest from Premier League clubs, according to Diario AS.
Although Carrasco's contract expires in 2024, his reported release clause of €60million reportedly makes him an attractive prospect to the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
Simeone has apparently ordered the club to not field any offers for the 28-year-old, who he considers fundamental to his future plans.
Though the player is reportedly happy at the Wanda Metropolitano, offers from elsewhere could potentially play a role in any contract negotiations.
ROUND-UP
– Cristiano Ronaldo is considering a departure from Manchester United in response to a lack of recent transfer activity under Erik ten Hag, Record reports.
– Barcelona have finally made a bid for Robert Lewandowski, with an opening offer to Bayern Munich of €40m, according to the Telegraph.
– The same publication is also reporting that, with one year remaining on his contract, France international Adrien Rabiot has requested a transfer from Juventus to the Premier League.
– Milan are considering making an offer for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, per TuttomercatoWeb.
Fielding an inexperienced side, Didier Deschamps insisted he will continue his search for optimal balance following France's 1-1 draw away to Croatia on Monday.
Following their opening Nations League defeat at home to Denmark, Les Bleus could only manage a point at the Poljud, with Andrej Kramaric equalising from the penalty spot following Adrien Rabiot's opening goal.
Deschamps went back to 4-4-2 after the opting for a 3-5-2 against Denmark, with several starting players under 10 caps including Moussa Diaby, Matteo Guendouzi, Christopher Nkunku and William Saliba.
With that relative lack of experience in mind, Deschamps was buoyant following his side's performance against the other 2018 World Cup finalist.
"We had overall control with two chances for 2-0 but we conceded a few too many situations to this Croatian team at the end," he said post-game. "The lines were stretched, but it was consistent overall. We could also have avoided the loss of possession at times. I can't be completely satisfied even though there are a lot more positives.
"We must also take into account the merit of the opponent. We also gave them the opportunity to equalise with this penalty. There are also all the changes at the end of the match. There were less than 200 caps in the team selected against Croatia. This is no excuse, but there are fewer automatisms."
The Vatreni finished the stronger of the two sides in Split, with chances falling to Luka Sucic and Nikola Vlasic upon their introductions.
France ended the game with a cumulative xG of 0.69 from seven shots in comparison to Croatia's 1.55 from eight, speaking to their growing inability to turn possession into something substantial in front of goal.
With one point out of a possible six, Deschamps insisted that while Les Bleus are not out of Nations League calculations, November's World Cup in Qatar requires experimentation in preparation for their title defence.
"We are in contention," he said after the match. "But with one point out of six, we are not in the best of moods. They are also preparation matches in anticipation of what awaits us at the end of the year. You have to see different things, different players and different systems.
"There were a lot of forced changes with worries and injuries. Compared to my starting lineup, I still have the same concern to put each player in the best conditions.
"We can always improve in defensive animation, but we can have problems with three, four or five [in defence]. I'm not frozen for the next game. But that doesn't mean I'm going to give up. I want to have more answers."
Chelsea have been crowned European and world champions since Thomas Tuchel's appointment just over 12 months ago.
The Blues, however, finished fourth in the Premier League last season.
Chelsea are third this term but 16 points behind leaders Manchester City with a game in hand, and it seems recruitment is in the offing.
TOP STORY – BLUES SET TO SPLASH THE CASH
Chelsea are set for an off-season transfer splash as they prepare to back Tuchel fresh from their Club World Cup triumph, according to The Telegraph,
The Blues have their sights firmly set on signing long-term target Jules Kounde from Sevilla as a priority in the upcoming off-season.
Chelsea are also interested in West Ham United's England international Declan Rice and Monaco's 22-year-old French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.
ROUND-UP
- Football London reports Arsenal are plotting a move for Chelsea forward Armando Broja, who is currently on loan at Southampton. The Gunners are short on attacking options after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's exit and with Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah running down contracts.
- Fichajes also claims that Arsenal are interested in Milan forward Rafael Leao, along with Newcastle United.
- Barcelona are trying to agree new deals with star young pair Gavi and Ronald Araujo amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester United, reports ESPN.
- Juventus are willing to listen to offers for Adrien Rabiot and Alex Sandro according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
- Fichajes claims that West Ham want to sign Lille defender Sven Botman, Villarreal left-back Pervis Estupinan and Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand.
Chelsea are not content to stick with what they have.
The Blues are top of the Premier League but poised for major moves in January.
Three young stars and a veteran are high on their radar.
TOP STORY – CHELSEA EYE REINFORCEMENTS
Chelsea have their sights set on moves for Jules Kounde, Matthijs de Ligt and Lorenzo Insigne, reports Marca, while another report has them as the favourites to land Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Blues are poised to revisit their talks with Sevilla over Kounde in January with multiple centre-backs set to be out of contract at the end of the season.
Thomas Tuchel's side could also dip into Serie A and try to lure De Ligt from Juventus and Insigne from Napoli.
Chelsea are prepared to offer €60million (£51m) to Monaco for Tchouameni, says TuttoJuve, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Juventus also possibilities.
ROUND-UP
- Barcelona are eyeing Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech as possible loan options from Chelsea, says Sport.
- Manchester United are pushing to line up Zinedine Zidane to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, reports The Sunday Times.
- United are prepared to sell Jesse Lingard for as little as £10m in January, says The Sun.
- Roma are in negotiations with United over a loan deal with an option to buy Diogo Dalot, claims Corriere dello Sport.
- Inter will bring aboard Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana on a four-year deal, reports Fabrizio Romano.
- Newcastle United will try to land Adrien Rabiot from Juventus for €10m to €15m (£8.5m-£13m), says Calciomercato.
Newcastle have the wealthiest owners in the world following their £300million takeover last week.
The Magpies have since been linked to a host of top players including Niklas Sule and Philippe Coutinho, with Timo Werner now joining that list.
The Premier League club are 19th in the table, winless this season with only three points from seven games, which suggests they need significant strengthening.
TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE KEEN ON GERMAN STRIKER
Newcastle are set to splash the cash and could make a bid to sign Chelsea's German striker Timo Werner, says Bild.
The report claims Newcastle have been "in regular contact" with Werner's agent ahead of the January transfer window.
Werner joined Chelsea in a £47.5million deal in June last year from RB Leipzig.
ROUND-UP
- Juventus are willing to sell France international midfielder Adrien Rabiot, with Newcastle linked as a suitor, as they raise funds for moves for Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni and Manchester United's Donny van de Beek.
- Marca claims Real Madrid are looking to sign Chelsea's Germany international defender Antonio Rudiger, who is out of contract at the end of this season.
- Liverpool are open to the idea of bringing Philippe Coutinho back to Anfield from Barcelona in January, claims the Express.
- Fichajes claims Liverpool are also considering a £68million (€80m) swoop for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, while they also progress contract talks with Mohamed Salah.
- Barcelona and Milan are top of the queue in the pursuit to sign Jesse Lingard if he leaves Old Trafford on a free transfer at the end of this season, according to the Daily Mail.
- Phil Foden has agreed terms on a new six-year contract with Manchester City, reports Goal.com.
Adrien Rabiot has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the Nations League final between France and Spain on Sunday as a result.
The Juventus midfielder started as Les Bleus came back from 2-0 down to beat Belgium 3-2 in the semi-finals, coming off for Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni with the scores level in the 75th minute.
Yannick Carrasco and Romelu Lukaku struck in the first half but Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe hauled France level before Theo Hernandez hit a dramatic winner in the 90th minute.
However, Rabiot will not be able to participate in Sunday's showdown in Milan and is now in isolation away from the rest of the squad.
The news of the midfielder's unavailability will come as a blow to France boss Didier Deschamps, who has already lost left-back Lucas Digne to a hamstring injury and was unable to call up N'Golo Kante for the tournament, with the Chelsea star having also contracted COVID-19.
France are unable to name replacements for the pair and will be forced to face Spain at San Siro with a 21-man squad.
Juventus have qualified for the Champions League on the final day of the Serie A season thanks to beating Bologna 4-1 and rivals Napoli only managing a draw at home to Hellas Verona.
Andrea Pirlo's men went into the weekend in danger of missing out on the Champions League for the first time since finishing seventh in 2010-11, but Verona did them a favour as they held on to a 1-1 draw in Naples, meaning Juve take fourth a point ahead of Napoli.
Juve certainly held up their end of the bargain, dismantling Bologna with consummate ease despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, with Adrien Rabiot and Federico Chiesa adding to Alvaro Morata's brace to have them 4-0 up by the 47th minute.
Riccardo Orsolini's late consolation had little bearing – the Bianconeri just had to see what happened elsewhere with Milan also in the hunt with Juve and Napoli, the latter of whom eventually became the team to miss out on the top four.
Juve looked like a team on a mission and were in front within six minutes as Chiesa converted somewhat scrappily after Dejan Kulusevski had caused havoc down the right flank.
It took them a little while to double their advantage but the second goal did arrive with half an hour played, Paulo Dybala doing brilliantly as he left the Bologna defence in knots before a chipped cross found Morata to nod home.
Rabiot then made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time, the Frenchman slotting past Lukasz Skorupski from Kulusevski's lay-off at the end of a lovely flowing move.
Juve quickly picked up where they left off in the second period, Morata producing an exquisite first touch on the spin to bring Wojciech Szczesny's long ball under his spell, then holding off a defender before squeezing a powerful shot under the hands of Skorupski.
Morata nearly got his hat-trick just before the hour when hitting into the side-netting from a Juan Cuadrado cross, though former Juve talent Orsolini did score at the other end with a well-taken finish late on.
Not that it had any major impact on Juve, who never looked like dropping points and that did the job as they ensured they will be at Europe's top table next term.
Erling Haaland is hot property right now with a long list of suitors keen on the Norwegian forward.
Financially powerful clubs Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea are among those jostling for the Borussia Dortmund man but Barcelona are in contention too.
Haaland and his agent Mino Raiola visited Barcelona along with Madrid in April as talks commenced.
TOP STORY - MESSI PAY CUT TO FUND HAALAND DEAL
Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is willing to take a pay cut in order to help Barcelona land Erling Haaland according to Eurosport.
Messi wants to renew with Barca under the assumption the club is ambitious and contending for top honours.
Contract talks have commenced between Messi and the Catalans, with reports that they will offer Messi a new 10-year contract.
ROUND-UP
- Marca reports that Real Madrid are looking to extend Lucas Vazquez's contract with a new and improved offer.
- Raheem Sterling could be offloaded by Manchester City this off-season, in order to fund moves for Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish, claims Football Insider.
- Chelsea are in the race for Juventus' French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, along with Barcelona, reports Calciomercato.
- Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Napoli have made a €10 million offer to Club Brugge for 20-year-old Belgium international Charles De Ketelaere.
- Gazzetta dello Sport also reports that Juventus wants to lure Massimiliano Allegri back to the club to replace head coach Andrea Pirlo.
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