Rudy's Rumour Mill: Chelsea eye Osimhen, City hunt De Bruyne successor
Richarlison wants Premier League stay
Despite some interest from Saudi, Al Hilal are not preparing any concrete offer to convince Richarlison to leave Tottenham in the summer. The Brazilian player is an appreciated profile, for sure, but at the moment he's not considered a real target for the champions of the Saudi League, who have other priorities to strengthen the attack.
Anyway, even on Richarlison's part, there is no desire to leave the Premier League in the summer. The Brazilian player, whose contract with Spurs expires in 2027, wants to remain in England at least until the World Cup, scheduled in 2026. After this international competition, he's open to evaluating proposals from other leagues than the Premier but until that international appointment, he will not be open to a new experience outside.
In summary, Saudi clubs, especially Al Hilal, appreciate Richarlison and consider the striker a good profile but, at the moment, there is no will to make a concrete move for him. At the same time, the Brazilian player is not oriented to leave the Premier League soon and would like to stay there for several more years.
Antonio Conte to 'settle' for Napoli
For many months, Antonio Conte tried to propose himself in every way to Juventus, he always wanted to return to the Bianconeri. The Italian giants, on their part, evaluated his position carefully, given that some members of the management wanted to appoint Conte as a new coach.
In the end, however, Juventus opted for another younger profile, namely Thiago Motta who led Bologna to a historic qualification for the Champions League. Returning to Conte, his desire to return to the bench prevailed over his heart: and so, after Juventus made a different decision, he decided to make Napoli available.
After first contact with Conte a few months ago, the former Italian champions seemed to have decided on other coaches - such as Vincenzo Italiano and Gian Piero Gasperini - due to Antonio's high financial demands. Now, however, President Aurelio de Laurentiis has changed his mind, with Napoli increasing the pressure on Conte, confident of being able to reach a definitive agreement with the former Tottenham coach.
At this moment, the negotiation is at an advanced stage and everything suggests that the long-awaited white smoke could arrive in the next few days.
Kevin De Bruyne courting interest
The pressure from Saudi Arabia for Kevin De Bruyne is becoming more and more intense, with several teams interested in him. Clubs like Al Ittihad and Al Qadisiya, as well as Al Nassr who have been following him for a long time now, are ready to get back in touch at the end of the season to understand the margins for the transfer.
De Bruyne hasn't closed the door to anyone, he just asked to wait until the end of the season to make all the necessary assessments, as he has just one year remaining on his contract with Manchester City. City, on their part, approached the Belgian player to explore the room of negotiation for a renewal, but, at the same time, won't rule out the possibility of monetizing his farewell and have already identified some profiles as possible replacements.
In the event of De Bruyne's departure, some of the names monitored with interest are Xavi Simons and Jamal Musiala, although Bayern are quite adamant and don't want to let him go in the summer. Let's keep an eye also on Florian Wirtz, followed by many clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid and Bayern themselves as an alternative to Musiala.
Rafael Leao's intentions are clear
Rafael Leao has no intention of leaving AC Milan this summer. Despite the interest of many clubs around the world, the Portuguese winger is happy in Milan and is fully committed to the project of the Rossoneri, both in the present and also in the future.
After Stefano Pioli's farewell, Leao is ready for a new adventure with a new coach and wants to continue to be one of AC Milan's key players, in Italy and also in Europe. At the moment, there is no confirmation on reports that Saudi clubs are willing to pay the release clause of 175 million euros (£149m), offering a monster salary to the Portuguese player. We can consider these just as rumours.
PSG have included Leao in the huge list of players monitored to replace Kylian Mbappe, but his will is clear: to stay at AC Milan, to continue to improve and establish himself as an international-level player. His attention is now turned to the Euro 2024 with his national team, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, and after the summer he will return to wear the Rossoneri's shirt, ready to win a trophy in the new season, together with the new coach.
Chelsea planning busy summer
Chelsea will experience a very hot summer on the transfer front. The Blues are in advanced negotiations with Enzo Maresca as their new head coach but are already working on various moves, with the priority to dismiss and monetize - in light of FFP - the sale of some players.
For example, Ian Maatsen. Contact is ongoing between Chelsea and Dortmund and after the Champions League final, the German club would like to finalize the transfer of Maatsen. Despite the 35 million euro (£29.7m) buy-out clause, the basis of discussion is now around 27 million euros (£23m) plus bonuses.
Another outgoing player is Romelu Lukaku. The Saudi Arabia option remains active, with Chelsea wanting to sell him definitively at any cost.
As for incomings, the first contact has been made with Napoli for Victor Osimhen, who will leave the Italian club in June. The Blues want to negotiate the terms of the release clause and it cannot be excluded that the English club will try to include players in the negotiation to lower the price, even if Napoli only ask for cash. With Osimhen, an agreement on personal terms is not that far away and the parties will continue to talk in the coming weeks.
