Barcelona could not compete financially with Chelsea for the signing of centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Chelsea confirmed the signing of Koulibaly last weekend in a deal worth a reported £33.8million (€40m), bringing an end to the defender's eight-year stay in Naples.

LaLiga heavyweights Barca, whose financial problems have been well documented over the past year, also had an interest in the Senegal international.

However, De Laurentiis claims the Catalan club could not meet Napoli's valuation for Koulibaly, who was into the final year of his contract at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

"Barcelona had come in, but they didn't have the money because they are in debt," he told Radio Kiss Kiss. "Then Chelsea came forward and we couldn't say no."

Koulibaly helped Napoli to three second-place finishes in Serie A and to Coppa Italia glory in 2020, as well as winning the Supercoppa Italiana shortly after he arrived in Italy.

Since joining the club in 2014, no defender in the Italian top flight has won more tackles than Koulibaly (344), or made more successful passes (14,528).

De Laurentiis revealed Napoli offered the 31-year-old an improved contract in an attempt to fend off Chelsea.

"I let Koulibaly go because he asked me to. I tried in every possible way to keep him, offering €6million per season net," De Laurentiis said.

"But if a player wants a new experience at a prestigious club, in the biggest league in the world, you have to recognise what he's given you and not put up walls."

Koulibaly made 236 Serie A appearances for Napoli, including 27 as the Partenopei finished third last season.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi insisted his team are "on the right track" in their preparations for the new season, despite suffering a surprise 1-0 friendly defeat to Lens.

Saturday's friendly in France was a cagey affair, ultimately decided by a 91st-minute winner for the hosts when Lois Openda flicked on a corner at the near post, which looped into the far corner of the net.

Lens, who finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, provided a stern test for their Serie A opponents, who fielded several of their new faces - including Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan as second-half substitutes.

They were unable to make a difference though, with Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba - recently signed from Premier League side Nottingham Forest - making several important saves.

Inzaghi felt it was a good exercise for Inter, who will be striving to regain the Serie A title next season after being dethroned by city rivals Milan.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has confirmed Dries Mertens' nine-year stay with the club is officially over after the forward rejected the offer of a new contract.

The Belgium international's previous deal expired at the end of last month, but the Serie A side had been hoping to persuade him to agree fresh terms.

However, De Laurentiis says Mertens was not willing to accept the offer tabled by the club and he is now on the lookout for a new team.

"I feel the love for the club, but I must never forget that football is also an industry as well as pure passion," he told Radio Kiss Kiss.

"Unfortunately, that means sometimes going against what the fans want. 

"When a supporter asks me, 'why don't you keep Mertens?' I can only reply that he offered himself to us for another year, because he knows that he's 35 and then has to retire.

"If he makes it a matter of cold, hard cash, then I have to say no. If I have to pay a disproportionate salary to Mertens, that would take money away from next season's budget."

Napoli have already waved goodbye to Lorenzo Insigne, David Ospina, Kalidou Koulibaly and Arkadiusz Milik during this transfer window.

Mertens departs Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, where he arrived in 2013 from PSV, as the club's all-time record scorer with 148 goals.

The 35-year-old scored 11 goals in 30 Serie A outings last season, with his 126 minutes per goal the fourth-best return of any player in Serie A to have netted at least 10 times.

He made 397 appearances for Napoli, placing him behind Insigne (434), Antonio Juliano (505), Giuseppe Bruscolotti (511) and Marek Hamsik (520).

Providing further details on the contract offered to the club legend, De Laurentiis said: "I presented him with €4million per season gross and he refused. 

"So I said thank you very much to you, your son Ciro, your wife, for everything you've done here and the extraordinary goals scored, but we cannot go beyond our capabilities.

"I need to have money to buy young players who can represent Napoli in future seasons. 

"When we changed all the older players to bring in those like Mertens and Koulibaly, the fans were doubtful, but they became champions here."

New Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has admitted he is uncertain about Neymar's future, despite the forward's desire to stay at the club.

The 30-year-old Brazil international is reportedly free to leave the French capital, though the former Barcelona man is not pushing for an exit.

Neymar has three years remaining on his PSG contract and stated on Saturday that he is happy to remain with the Ligue 1 champions.

Galtier revealed he is not sure if Neymar will be part of his squad for the 2022-23 season.

"Neymar is happy, he has been working well since the beginning of the pre-season," he said after the 3-0 win against Urawa Red Diamonds.

"What will happen in the near future when the transfer window closes, I don't know.

"We announce he's leaving, we announce he's staying - I haven't spoken to Ney about this. But he doesn't seem to be bothered about what is said about him and his situation at the club."

Neymar scored 13 Ligue 1 goals for PSG last season as they reclaimed the title but has not scored in the knockout stages of the Champions League since March 2020, when he was on target against Borussia Dortmund. 

Dani Alves is grateful that he will have the opportunity to say a final farewell to Barcelona fans at Camp Nou in one of his first games as a Pumas UNAM player.

The veteran full-back left Barcelona at the end of last season following the expiration of a short-term deal signed when returning to the club for a second spell in January.

Brazil international Alves started 14 LaLiga games for Xavi's side in the second half of last season, but the club decided against extending his contract for another year.

He will now continue his prestigious career in Mexico with Pumas, who confirmed the 39-year-old's arrival on Saturday after days of teasing the high-profile signing.

And in a coincidental twist, Alves is now expected to be part of the Pumas squad that takes on Barca for the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 7.

Barca were originally scheduled to face Roma, but Jose Mourinho's side pulled out and Pumas took up the invitation to play in the pre-season friendly.

The defender previously suggested he was unhappy with the manner of his Camp Nou exit, but he has now said he can understand Barcelona's decision.

"In the end, life treats people who treat life well, and this game gives me the right to come and play with Pumas at Camp Nou to say goodbye," he told TUDN News. 

"My contract there ended. I didn't expect much more as I'd only signed for six months and fulfilled those.

"But now, I will have the opportunity with Pumas to say goodbye to the people as I would have always liked."

Alves scored one goal and set up four more between his second debut on January 5 and the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

That is a tally bettered only by Ferran Torres (six), Jordi Alba (seven) and Ousmane Dembele (11) among Barca players over that period.

Despite recently turning 39, Alves made clear he wanted to quickly find a new club in order to remain part of Tite's plans for the 2022 World Cup.

Asked why he opted for Mexico, and Pumas in particular, Alves said: "What attracted me to this club is more than just football.

"I think that in Mexico, you have to try to believe a little more in their football. 

"Those who out of ignorance discredit Liga MX, do it wrongly. There are very good goalkeepers, who we have faced at the Olympics. 

"When we went to the Club World Cup with Barca, the Mexicans were the only ones who wanted to face us."

Antonio Conte has suggested Bayern Munich have been "a bit disrespectful" by refusing to rule out a move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

Kane, who has two years remaining on his Spurs contract, is reportedly being lined up as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski at the Allianz Arena following the prolific Poland captain's switch to Barcelona.

Bayern head coach Nagelsmann has expressed his admiration for the England skipper, but says he knows Kane may be too expensive.

The Bavarian giants' CEO Oliver Kahn had denied that the club are interested in buying Kane during this transfer window, but refused to rule out a move for the 28-year-old further down the line.

Speaking after his talisman Kane netted twice as Tottenham came from behind to beat Rangers 2-1 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, Conte made it clear he was not impressed with Bayern.

"For sure, I'm a coach that doesn't speak about players from another team," the Italian said.

"The situation is very clear at Tottenham and Harry is a very important part of the project. [They are] only rumours, but I don't like to talk about players from another club.

"If I want to do something, I don't do it through the media. Maybe, that's a bit disrespectful for the other club."

Kane has scored five times in three games during pre-season, with Tottenham unbeaten after their 6-3 victory over a K-League XI and 1-1 draw with Sevilla.

The London club complete their preparations for the Premier League campaign against their former boss Jose Mourinho's Roma side next weekend, and Conte is pleased with the shape his squad are in.

"I'm happy because the [Rangers] game wasn't a friendly game; it was a real game," he added.

"The last game they played against West Ham, they won 3-1, and you know the fitness of Rangers is higher. But despite this, I think that we played with a good intensity, a good pressure and a good quality.

"For sure, we can improve because we conceded a goal that we can avoid, but I'm delighted with the attitude and the will and desire that the players are showing me in this pre-season. I'm very happy."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has welcomed the additional competition for a starting spot at Barcelona and says landing Robert Lewandowski "is what the club is all about".

Barca pulled off a coup of sorts earlier this week when bringing in prolific striker Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to €50million.

Lewandowski outscored every other player across Europe's top five leagues last season with 50 goals in 46 appearances, six more than next-best Karim Benzema.

The Poland international's 312 Bundesliga goals with Bayern and Borussia Dortmund is the second-most of any player in the competition's history, behind only Gerd Muller (365).

Lewandowski's arrival could see February signing Aubameyang playing a bit-part role this term, but the ex-Arsenal man is relishing the chance to link up with his former team-mate.

"I was really excited because I know him well, we played together at Dortmund and had some nice times over there," Aubameyang told ESPN.

"I was just happy and when this was official we are reunited and we had some fun words about the past.

"I’m really happy because this is how Barcelona will compete, with great strikers and that's what this club is all about.

"Obviously I think we have more experience, we can maybe do better than the past in Dortmund, I am sure about that. 

"Personally, I will try to give my best and I'm sure he will [as well]. We will hope we have better numbers than in the past."

Aubameyang scored 13 goals in 23 games for Barcelona after arriving at Camp Nou in early February – more than double that of any of his team-mates over the same period.

He scored at a rate of one goal every 116 minutes, compared to a goal every 80 minutes for Lewandowski with Bayern across the whole of the 2021-22 campaign.

However, asked if he has been informed by head coach Xavi if he will be used alongside Lewandowski, Aubameyang said: "Yes, a little bit.

"He was talking to all of us that we have to compete this year to win titles. Of course, when you talk about trophies we need a competitive team.

"That's why we have a lot of strikers and midfielders and defenders. This is the way to achieve things this season."

Ousmane Dembele also signed a new contract with Barcelona in what has been a positive transfer window, despite the Catalan giants' well-publicised financial issues.

"That's definitely a boost," Aubameyang said of Dembele's new deal. "He's one of the best players I've ever played with.

"I'm sure about that because his quality is something crazy and every time I play with him I enjoy it on the pitch. I'm really happy he re-signed.

"Everyone was a bit scared because we didn't know if we would re-sign or not. In the end he did. 

"I'm sure he knows Barcelona is one of the best clubs in the world so this is the place to be."

Julian Nagelsmann believes Harry Kane would "score a lot of goals in the Bundesliga", but admitted the England captain may too expensive for Bayern Munich.

Kane, who has two years remaining on his contract with Tottenham, is reportedly being lined up as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski at the Allianz Arena following the Poland captain's switch to Barcelona.

Spurs' talisman scored twice on Saturday as Antonio Conte's men came from behind to beat Rangers 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Ibrox.

The three-time Premier League golden boot winner has netted 248 times in 386 appearances for the London club, who he joined as an 11-year-old.

Speaking ahead of Bayern's pre-season friendly against Manchester City, who Kane almost joined a year ago, head coach Nagelsmann expressed his admiration for the England skipper but knows it would be a big ask to bring him to the Bundesliga.

"He's very expensive, that's the problem - but [a] brilliant player, one of two or three who can play as a centre forward [as well as a] number 10," he said. "He's very strong, brilliant with [his] head and both feet.

"It's possible that he would score a lot of goals in the Bundesliga. But it will be tough, I think, for Bayern Munich. We will see what will happen in the future."

Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn had denied that the club are interested in buying Kane during this transfer window, but refused to rule out a move for the 28-year-old further down the line.

"He's under contract with Tottenham," Kahn added. "Sure, [he's] an absolute top striker, but that's all a dream of the future.

"Now, we have to look at getting the squad together for the current season. Let's see what else happens."

Leonardo Bonnuci feels Matthijs de Ligt's comments on his desire to depart Juventus showed a lack of respect to the Bianconeri, after the latter completed his move to Bayern Munich.

The Netherlands international sealed his switch to the Bundesliga champions from Turin earlier this month, ending his three-year stint at the Allianz Stadium.

De Ligt made no secret of his desire to move away from Juve, particularly after missing out on the Scudetto in each of the last two seasons.

But while Bonucci wishes his former defensive partner the best, he admits he had to address some of his words before he departed.

"De Ligt’s exit didn’t surprise me because certain comments made it clear he didn’t want to stay at Juventus," the Italy international stated after the Bianconeri beat Guadalajara 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in Las Vegas.

"But I think at the end of the day, you need to be respectful. The group he was with for three years helped him grow, and the club invested in him.

"I wish him the best, but certain comments he made on international duty were not very nice. We spoke about it after our holidays, and he understood.

"Bayern are a great club, but just being at a top club doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win."

Bonucci, meanwhile, has not given up hope of completing his club trophy cabinet.with Juventus, despite their recent drop in form.

A multiple Serie A and Coppa Italia winner during his time in Turin - along with a Euro 2020 triumph with the Azzurri - the Champions League remains the last major club honour to elude him, having been a beaten finalist on two occasions.

"When I joined, my dream was to have a great career and win everything," he added. "I’ve almost achieved it; I’m 90 per cent there. I’m just missing that tiny piece, which hurts us Juve fans.

"Let’s hope that over the next two years of my contract we can find stability in Europe again. Winning is always difficult. The first step is to reach the quarter-finals, then you need luck.

"In a season so unique, anything can happen, so why not believe in Juve’s future in Europe?"

Lyon have signed Argentina full-back Nicolas Tagliafico from Ajax on a three-year deal.

The 29-year-old had been a regular for Ajax over the past four-and-a-half seasons, making 169 appearances for the Eredivisie champions and winning five major honours.

Following a protracted transfer saga, Lyon confirmed the arrival of Tagliafico on their official website on Saturday.

The Ligue 1 club agreed a fee of €4.2million for the left-back, who will fill the void left by loanee Emerson Palmieri's return to parent club Chelsea. 

Tagliafico has been capped 40 times by Argentina and is expected to be part of Lionel Scaloni's squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Neymar has declared that his desire is to stay at Paris Saint-Germain amid reports he could be on the move.

The Brazil international has been linked with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Juventus.

Neymar came on just before the hour mark in PSG's 3-0 friendly win over Japanese outfit Urawa Red Diamonds in Saitama on Saturday and spoke of his wish to remain with the Ligue 1 champions after the match.

The former Barcelona forward, who has three years remaining on his contract, told reporters: "I want to stay in Paris.

"I don't know about the club since they haven't told me anything. I have a multi-year contract here. So far, I haven't been told anything."

Neymar was in the PSG team that crumbled at the Bernabeu last season, when a Karim Benzema hat-trick saw PSG let a 2-0 second-leg lead slip against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16.

He was booed in PSG's next home game after that collapse, and there has been talk of that reaction leading to the 30-year-old wanting to seek pastures new.

Yet Neymar says he is looking forward to the new season with Christophe Galtier in charge following Mauricio Pochettino's departure.

He added: "I feel good, in good shape, after the holidays at home. For everyone, we have to train a lot to improve as a team. The truth is that everything is fine.

"I have nothing to prove to anyone. I like to play football, I'm happy."

Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado believes "a very strong Juve is being born" ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Colombia international was speaking after a 2-0 friendly win over Mexican side Guadalajara in Las Vegas; Marco Da Graca and Mattia Compagnon on target at the Allegiant Stadium.

Juventus struggled at the beginning of last season, but they soon picked up under head coach Massimiliano Allegri and finished fourth in Serie A to ensure Champions League qualification.

While they have lost key defender Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich, the Bianconceri have brought in the likes of Angel Di Maria and the returning Paul Pogba on free transfers, as well as Bremer from Torino.

Cuadrado was positive about both the Guadalajara win and the future of Juventus, telling the club's official channels: "[It was] a beautiful evening, even if it was a friendly match.

"For us, it is always important to seek victory, and we have. Chivas are a good team, but we now want to also do well in the next matches.

"A very strong Juve is being born, with many quality players, great new arrivals."

And it is clear that head coach Allegri is putting the players to work ahead of the forthcoming Serie A campaign.

When asked what the boss was asking of them in pre-season, Cuadrado replied: "Run, run, run."

Pedri hopes Barcelona can raid Athletic Bilbao to sign "magnificent" defender Inigo Martinez.

Barca have reportedly turned their attention to centre-back Martinez, with Sevilla's Jules Kounde expected to join Chelsea rather than move to Camp Nou.

Pedri believes his Spain team-mate would be a great signing for the Blaugrana, who have been busy in the transfer market ahead of the 2022-23 season.

The teenage midfielder said when asked about the prospect of signing Martinez: "I hope he comes. He is a magnificent player. I know him very well from the national team."

Barca academy graduate Pedri believes the Catalan giants have a great chance of winning LaLiga after recruiting the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Franck Kessie.

Asked how the team is ready to approach the season, he replied: "With the greatest enthusiasm. In addition, the reinforcements that have come are helping people get excited.

"We face this season with the illusion of winning all the titles."

Xavi's side face Real Madrid in an El Clasico friendly at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Pedri is relishing doing battle with the LaLiga champions in a mouthwatering pre-season friendly.

"There is always a desire to play against Real Madrid," he said. "I had never been to the United States and I am noticing the affection of the people."

He added: "it's pre-season and the important thing is to add minutes. But it's true that playing against Real Madrid is always a motivation and winning is always good for the dynamics of the group."

Thomas Tuchel does not intend to give in to Cesar Azpilicueta's demand for a cut-price exit to Barcelona. 

Azpilicueta has reportedly asked to leave Stamford Bridge for Barca, who have already signed Andreas Christensen after his Blues contract expired.

It has been suggested that a £55million move for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde could pave the way for the Spaniard to leave for Camp Nou. 

However, Tuchel is standing firm and does not want to let Azpilicueta leave on the cheap, saying he was "maybe a little bit" annoyed by Barca's pursuit of the player. 

"It's a tough question because I'm not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants," said Tuchel, as quoted by Standard Sport. 

"At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for [Kalidou] Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age. 

"He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea. I see him maybe at the same level, but Barcelona don't see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player. 

"We don't think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what's best for Chelsea. 

"He doesn't like it but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On September 1 when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level." 

Tuchel poured cold water on reports that striker Timo Werner is keen to return to Germany after failing to make an impact following his arrival from RB Leipzig in 2020. 

"I don't think so, so I don't know about it. Timo has not talked to me about it," said Tuchel. 

"At the moment I think he wants to make his way at Chelsea. He still has to prove a point." 

Giuseppe Marotta says Inter did not need Paulo Dybala and offered no guarantees Milan Skriniar will stay at San Siro.

Dybala was strongly linked with a move to the Nerazzurri, but this week joined Serie A rivals Roma as a free agent after his Juventus contract expired.

Inter have added firepower by bringing Romelu Lukaku back to the club on loan from Chelsea and playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan also signed after leaving Roma.

With Lautaro Martínez, Edin Dzeko and Joaquin Correa among the other frontmen in Simone Inzaghi's squad, Inter managing director Marotta believes it would have made no sense to snap Dybala up.

He told DAZN: "There has been a lot of talk, I can simply say that he is a serious guy and a great professional, but we have an offensive department of great value.

"There was no space, not because he was not good, but because there was no need."

Skriniar has less than a year remaining on his Inter contract and the centre-back is reportedly a target for Paris Saint-Germain.

Marotta says the club will not keep the Slovakia international at all costs. 

He added: "We had this meeting with the fans and we came out even more strengthened, we took great passion from them. There is a faith in our colours which is a dogma, it was not a protest but they were clarifications.

"We told them that on the one hand we have to build a competitive team and on the other we have to keep an eye on the economic-financial balance.

"Skriniar is a very strong player, he doesn't necessarily have to be put on the market. We had some contacts and everything will be evaluated: the fans, however, must remain calm because the team will always be competitive."