As Fiorentina's summer transfer window builds towards denouement with the future of Moise Kean, the secondary narrative couldn't be about anything other than his putative replacement. The usual rumormongers have offered up a handful of names: Lorenzo Lucca, Joshua Zirkzee, William Osula. None of those spark joy even in conjunction with the previously-signed Mateo Pellegrino. Recently, though, a new name darkened my consciousness, one that left me sweaty and shaking. Consider this my formal plea: Fabio Paratici, please, please, please do not sign Mauro Icardi.
If you've been living under a rock, Icardi looks like a great signing. He's hit 10+ league goals in 10 seasons across 4 clubs in 3 countries. He holds an Italian passport, speaks the language fluently, spent nearly a decade in Serie A with Sampdoria and Inter Milan, and has twice been capocannoniere. He's a free agent after his contract with Galatasaray ran out this summer following a 14-goal campaign which demonstrated he's recovered from a major knee injury the year before. At 33, he could have another couple productive seasons, especially because he's always relied more on his poaching instincts and lethal finishing more than his physicality.
If you haven't been living under a rock, though, you know that Icardi is just about the stupidest signing Fiorentina could make. I'm going to list four reasons. Feel free to add your own afterwards because whoo boy can you probably come up with more.
Mauro Icardi is a messy, messy guy. The tabloids have fed on him like vultures for years in a way that makes me uncomfortable but he seems incapable of, for want of a better phrase, being normal. His relationship with Wanda Nara is the stuff of podcasting legend. The tl;dr is that they started hooking up when she was married to his teammate and mentor Maxi López, leading to an ugly divorce and weird custody situation that included Icardi getting tattoos of López and Nara's kids.
That relationship ran its predictable course but not before Nara registered herself as his agent and initiated a disastrous falling out with Inter Milan. After all that, she found evidence of his infidelity and kicked off a years-long cycle of short-term breakups that reached its inevitable conclusion in an acrimonious divorce and subsequent legal battle over alimony and custody that's led to international travel bans, alleged leaks of "intimate videos," mutual accusations of cheating, and missed child support payments. Because the wrangling stretches across continents, it offers unprecedented legal complications and will probably drag on for years before a judge can make any sort of ruling.

#years #mauro #Milan #though

Lazio are making an effort to sign Mauro Icardi, but the latter remains reluctant to tie himself to the project.
The 33-year-old was one of the most prolific centre-forwards in Serie A during his time at Sampdoria (2011-2013) and Inter Milan (2013-2019). The former Nerazzurri captain then had a three-year spell at Paris Saint-Germain, followed by four years at Galatasaray, but he's been a free agent since the start of the summer.
In recent weeks, Icardi has been widely considered Lazio's top target for the striker role alongside Sassuolo's Andrea Pinamonti. However, finding an agreement with the Argentine remains a tall order for Angelo Fabiani and Co.
According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Icardi and his entourage had initially expressed their openness to negotiate with Lazio officials, but they have now decided to put all talks on ice. While previous reports had mentioned a significant gap between the club's offer and the player's salary request, the Sky Sport Italia correspondent insists the striker's priority is the sporting aspect.
In other words, the former PSG man is keen to find the right project, as he believes he cannot afford to make the wrong choice at this relatively late stage of his career. Therefore, the striker is expected to bide his time and await other proposals before picking his next destination. It should be noted that free agents are allowed to join a new club even after the transfer deadline.

#icardi #project #year #time

Cercle Brugge going into this season hoping to avoid the mistakes of the past two campaigns. After finishing in the bottom four twice, there are hopes that the club can turns things around under Danish head coach Lars Friis. He has a few new players to work with, but it does not appear that the side have done much to rectify their struggles up front. Perhaps Cercle Brugge are hoping for some internal growth from the strikers already on the books, or are still working on some new signings. They will once again be one of the youngest sides going into the new season.
Transfers in: Lazare Amani (Kifisia FC), Gaetan Coucke (Sampdoria)
Transfers out: Warleson (Botafogo), Nils De Wilde (Aalst), Beni Mpanzu (FC Dordrecht), Flavio ***** nho (Monaco)
Key player: Lazare Amani
He may be one of the few new signings, but the former Union St Gilloise man could be crucial for Cercle Brugge this season. In many ways, he is the replacement for Leandro Lopes who left a few seasons ago and was never really replaced. High energy and tough tackling at his best, if Amani can find his best form, he really could be a driving force for a young Cercle Brugge team in midfield.

#amani #signings #really

The 22-year-old had emerged as a player of interest for the Scottish champions earlier this year, with reports in May claiming Celtic had outlined their plans in an attempt to persuade him to make the move to Glasgow.
Italian side Sampdoria were also credited with an interest, although Basel ultimately won the race after stepping up their pursuit in recent weeks.
According to reports, the Swiss club have agreed a fee of around €3 million with Azerbaijani side Sabah FK to secure the signature of the wideman.
Basel officially confirmed Malouda's arrival this week as they continue reshaping their squad ahead of the new campaign.
He arrives as the replacement for Benie Traore, who recently departed for Major League Soccer after joining New York City FC.

#interest #side #celtic

Former Olympique Lyonnais and Montpellier HSC midfielder Jordan Ferri (34) is open to returning to France this summer, according to a report from Foot Mercato.
Ferri left Ligue 1 a year ago to join Sampdoria, looking to experience Italian football in Serie B. However, his first season in Genoa did not unfold as hoped, with the Frenchman making only six appearances across all competitions.
Despite that limited playing time, Ferri remains determined to relaunch his career ahead of the new campaign. The midfielder would reportedly be receptive to an interesting project in either Ligue 1 or Ligue 2.
The Cavaillon-born player remains under contract with Sampdoria until 2027, meaning any prospective French club would need to reach an agreement with the Italian side.
Ferri could offer considerable experience to a team looking to reinforce its midfield. The former Lyon academy graduate has made 505 senior appearances during his career, registering 29 goals and 36 **** ists.GFFN | George Boxall

#ligue

Italy will appoint legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo as the country's new manager, according to local reports.
Pirlo was a key part of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side and played for Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus in a gloried playing career. He also coached Juventus, as well as Sampdoria and Turkish side Fatih Karagumruk, before his current role in charge of Dubai United.
Pirlo will sign a four-year contract, taking him to the 2030 World Cup, Italian publication La Repubblica reported.
Italian ⁠football is facing one of its deepest crises in decades, and the ⁠appointment of a new national team coach is seen as the first step in a wider effort to ‌rebuild a youth development and talent pathway system that has deteriorated ‌significantly in a country where football remains a national obsession.
Gennaro Gattuso resigned as Italy head coach in April after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for a third World Cup in a row.

#juventus #four

The now all-but-certain appointment of Andrea Pirlo as the new head coach of the national team raises a question: "Why him, exactly?" It's a fair question. More than fair, in fact—it's necessary.
Because his CV is hardly dazzling, his profile has deflated the fans' excitement, and now it seems as if everything is already being written off before it has even begun. But there is more sense in this choice than people think, regardless of how it ends.
A month ago, Andrea Pirlo claimed that he has always "achieved the objectives set for him": 4th place with Juventus, the playoffs with Sampdoria, 7th place with Fatih Karagümrük (though in reality he was sacked while in 9th place), and then promotion from the UAE Serie B by finishing 2nd.
That really is quite an impressive résumé—if you read it backwards. Because read left to right, it looks like the story of Benjamin ***** on: it starts where most careers end and then develops in reverse, all the way back to having to learn the ropes in lower divisions, even in minor leagues.
But in the middle, we never saw him at his physical peak: where is Andrea Pirlo's prime? It never happened. Not yet, at least.

#pirlo #even #juventus #sampdoria

Leicester City have confirmed the departure of midfielder Harry Winks who makes his return to Italian football.
With the Foxes playing in League One this season, the club have had to see the departure of some of their big-name players with Winks the latest to go after three years at the club.
The 30-year-old has now made a permanent move to Serie A side Cagliari, which will be his second spell in Italy after having previously been on loan at Sampdoria while at Tottenham Hotspur.
"We wish Harry well in the next part of his career," Leicester said in a statement for the player who made 109 appearances for the club, scoring five goals and making six **** ists.
Last season, Cagliari finished 14th in the Italian top flight, ahead of the likes of Fiorentina and Genoa.

Former Sampdoria and England defender Des Walker revealed he was close to signing for Roma and Juventus but since Nottingham Forest declined the Bianconeri spent the money on Roberto Baggio.
Des Walker revealed that he was close to joining Roma in April of 1990, a couple of months before the iconic FIFA World Cup tournament in Italy.
However, Nottingham Forest declined the offer. As they did when Juventus came knocking after Italia 90, with the Bianconeri spending the money saved on his transfer a certain Roberto Baggio.
Furthermore, Walker revealed the backstory of when he signed for Sampdoria where Roberto Mancini was an integral part of that transfer.
Walker made these statements in an interview with the The Italian Football Podcast, at an online event hosted by TalkSPORT Bet Online Slots.

Sassuolo and Bologna are reportedly in talks with ******* as Verona about Kieron Bowie, while Celtic are linked with Norwegian striker Tobias Lauritsen and three clubs are said to be chasing former Rangers loanee Mikey Moore.
Sassuolo have joined Bologna in holding talks with relegated ******* as Verona about 23-year-old £10m-rated Scotland striker Kieron Bowie. (Daily Record)
Jack Hendry has become the highest-paid Scotland international after the 31-year-old centre-half signed a new two-year contract with Al Ettifaq. (Sky Sports)
Celtic are interested in striker Tobias Lauritsen, who has left Sparta Rotterdam, along with Leicester City, while Sampdoria are actively pursuing the 28-year-old, according to Il Secolo XIX. (Martin Crawford on X)
Celtic plan to open talks with Anthony Ralston over a new contract with the 27-year-old Scotland right-back entering the final year of his current deal. (Daily Record)

Reports in Italy claim that Serie B outfit Sampdoria are eyeing a potential move for former Napoli icon Lorenzo Insigne on a free transfer following his recent experience in the Italian second division with Pescara.
Insigne returned to playing in Italy earlier this year following his three-year spell in MLS with Toronto FC, joining Pescara on a short-term deal until the end of the 2025-26 season back in January.
The diminutive attacker, who turned 35 at the beginning of June, went on to score five goals from 13 outings, which was not enough for Pescara to avoid relegation to Serie C at the end of the 2025-26 season.
(Lega_B via X)
Insigne is now available as a free agent after seeing his contract with Pescara expire on June 30, and the latest reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport claim that Sampdoria are interested in picking up the former Napoli star for the 2026-27 campaign.

Serie A side Cagliari have sealed a move for Alessandro Romano but they are still looking to bolster their midfield, with Gianluca Gaetano likely on his way out.
Alfredo Pedulla has reported that Leicester City’s Harry Winks has emerged as a surprising target for the Sardinian side.
They find the ex-Tottenham player’s profile very appealing, with the Foxes now finding themselves in League One after relegation from the Championship last season. The English club have given a green light to the deal, with Winks’ current deal running out in 2027.
Cagliari and the Englishman’s entourage are holding talks to find an agreement over the wages, with the two clubs now also in discussions over terms of the deal. The idea of a deal going through is increasing, with Winks nearing a second spell in Italy, with his first coming at Sampdoria four years ago.
At one point, Winks was seen as English football’s next big hope and he put in big European performances for Tottenham. Things haven’t panned out as expected but this could be his chance of returning to the top-flight and rebuild his career once again.

Milan are considering bringing in external transfer consultant George Gardi to help navigate the club’s summer recruitment amid the ongoing leadership vacuum at San Siro, with the Florence-based fixer’s extensive network and track record making him an attractive bridge solution while the search for a permanent sporting director continues.
According to MilanNews.it, Gardi would not function as a conventional agent or intermediary but as a special external consultant, someone who facilitates complex transfer operations that might otherwise prove impossible to structure.
With internal figures Bobby Gardiner and Jovan Kirovski expected to take on greater responsibility in the short term while working alongside Amorim on squad planning, Gardi would complement rather than replace that setup.
MAY 20: A detailed view of the corner flag on the inside of the stadium prior to the Serie A match between AC MIlan and UC Sampdoria at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 20, 2023 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
Gardi’s CV speaks for itself.

Roker Report is saddened to learn of the passing of former Sunderland midfielder Eric Roy following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
News of Roy’s death will be met with sadness by many Sunderland supporters who remember him as part of one of the club’s most successful sides of the modern era, a team that not only secured its place in the Premier League but did so with a swagger and confidence that remains fondly remembered on Wearside.
Signed by Peter Reid in the summer of 1999 from Olympique Marseille for a fee of £275,000, Roy arrived at the Stadium of Light ahead of Sunderland’s first season back in the top flight following promotion from the First Division. In a somewhat unusual introduction to English football, the Frenchman actually appeared for the club during Kevin Ball’s testimonial against Sampdoria before putting pen to paper, giving supporters an early glimpse of the tenacious midfielder who would soon become a familiar face in red and white.
The 1999-2000 campaign would go down as one of the finest seasons Sunderland fans have witnessed in recent decades. Defying expectations, Reid’s side stormed to a remarkable seventh-place finish in the Premier League, playing exciting, attacking football and earning admiration throughout the country. Roy was an important member of a fiercely competitive midfield unit that also featured the likes of Alex Rae, Stefan Schwarz and Gavin McCann, providing steel, discipline and work ethic whenever called upon.
Although he was never the most glamorous player in the squad, Roy embodied many of the qualities Sunderland supporters have always appreciated. Tough in the tackle, committed in the challenge and willing to do the dirty work for the benefit of the team, he quickly earned a reputation as a wholehearted competitor who never shirked responsibility.