Less than one week after the conclusion of the Serie A season, the transfer rumours ahead of a summer of trading have already begun to escalate. A superb campaign on the peninsula has inevitably alerted Premier League clubs to some of Italy’s biggest stars and Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri is expected to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea following the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti at the Stadio San Paolo.
What follows is a look at the main transfer rumours currently coming out of Italy.
Stephan Lichtsteiner to Arsenal (free) - Fabrizio Romano (Guardian)
New Arsenal boss Unai Emery should look forward to the signing of experienced Juventus right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, according to reports. The 34-year-old has won the Scudetto in all of his seven seasons with the Old Lady since arriving from Lazio in 2011, in addition to having lifted the last four consecutive Coppa Italia trophies.
It is clearly time for a change for the German veteran, who admitted having turned down Borussia Dortmund since he became a free agent this summer. The Switzerland international will be heading to the World Cup this summer, and also revealed he would reject any offers that came his way from China.
Douglas Costa to Manchester United (£75 million) - Corriere dello Sport
After being the difference-maker in a seventh consecutive Serie A title for Juventus, Douglas Costa is reportedly wanted by Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho. The Brazilian has demonstrated his sublime talent since arriving in Turin from Bayern Munich, truly entertaining the crowd with four goals and 12 assists .
The reported fee would double the €46 million total fee paid by Juventus, however the club are extremely unlikely to let the player go, especially with their sights firmly set on winning the Champions League in 2018/19.
Jorginho to Manchester City (€45-€60 million) - La Repubblica
Having finished top of the charts in terms of number of passes for the last three seasons under boss Maurizio Sarri, Napoli’s Jorginho has unsurprisingly been put high on the list of Manchester City tactician Pep Guardiola. Reports suggest City have already made an offer of €45 million for the Italian international, however Napoli are said to be refusing to budge from their valuation of €60 million.
The midfield metronome shed tears when his current side lost out on the Scudetto to Juventus, sparking rumours that he was ready to say goodbye, however the appointment of a high-profile boss in Ancelotti could potentially give Jorginho a reason to remain. Chelsea are also likely to have their say should they appoint Sarri, as the Coach will undoubtedly relish a reunion with arguably the most important player in his extremely precise setup.
Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea (swap deal) - Tuttosport
Striker Gonzalo Higuain is another linked with a return to former boss Maurizio Sarri, the Juventus hitman having broken the Serie A scoring record with 36 league goals at Napoli in 2015/16. Former Bianconeri striker Alvaro Morata could be sent back to Turin in exchange, states the report – even though the Chelsea forward was pictured talking with Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici this week – however this still seems like a case of putting two and two together and coming up with six.
“We already have a great attack of international calibre, so it’s an area where we don’t have to make any bets,” said Juve director general Beppe Marotta in response to the Morata rumours. “Therefore, at this point, any operation
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