SERIE A TABLE | TOP FIUR

 

LEAGUE TITLE CHANCES

 

SERIE A TABLE | INTER BACK ON TOP

 

SPALLETTI & LOCATELLI SPEAK AFTER NAPOLI 2-1 JUVENTUS MATCH | PRESS CONFERENCE

 

JUVENTUS STARTING XI VS. NAPOLI

 

FORMER FOOTBALLER FROM ZAÏRE (NOW DR CONGO) AND FATHER OF ROMELU LUKAKU HAS PASSED AWAY

'Life will never be the same again' - Romelu Lukaku removes all Instagram posts with Napoli striker in mourning after his father passes away aged 58

Romelu Lukaku is in mourning after the passing of his father, Roger, at just 58. The Napoli striker, currently sidelined with injury, removed all Instagram posts and left a single tribute to his late father. Lukaku, who played a key role in Napoli’s title-winning campaign last season, now faces a period of personal grief alongside his road to recovery.

Getty Images Sport

A family tragedy for the Lukakus

Lukaku has announced the death of his father Roger, who passed away at the age of 58. The Napoli striker, joined by his brother Jordan, shared an emotional tribute on Instagram, writing: “Life will never be the same again.” 

Lukaku's emotional gesture on Instagram for his father

As part of his mourning, the Belgian striker has since deleted all previous posts from his profile, leaving only a picture with his father. In it, he thanked Roger for protecting and guiding him, admitting the pain “flows like rivers.” The symbolic act underlines the depth of his grief during what is already a testing period due to injury. 

Lukaku posted on his Instagram profile in memory of his father: "Thank you for teaching me everything I know. I will always be grateful and appreciate you. Life will never be the same again. You protected and guided me like no one else could have done. I will never be the same again. The pain and tears are flowing freely. But God will give me the strength to get back up. Thank you for everything."

The man who shaped his sons’ careers

Roger Lukaku, a former striker for Zaire who also played in Belgium and Turkey, had a complicated yet influential role in his sons’ lives. Though his relationship with Romelu and Jordan suffered following his divorce, Roger expressed his hopes of reconciliation in 2023, saying: "I hope this article reopens the floodgates. I feel like one day things will be okay again, because the current situation is hurting me so much." Despite past struggles, Romelu credited him for teaching him “everything I know.”

What lies ahead for Lukaku and Napoli

Lukaku who delivered 14 goals and 10 assists in Serie A last season, is currently recovering from a thigh injury that could rule him out until early 2026. Napoli will hope he can return fully fit, but for now, football takes a back seat as their No.9 focuses on family, healing, and eventually finding strength to step back on the pitch.

Additional reporting by Stefano Silvestri.

- Chirayu Parmar

ANTONIO CONTE UNDER PRESSURE JUST MINUTES AFTER SECURING SERIE A TITLE WITH NAPOLI AS PRESIDENT SENDS BOSS WARNING AMID WILD STREET CELEBRATIONS

Antonio Conte has become the first man to win the Italian title with three different teams

• Napoli win Scudetto for the fourth time after pipping Inter Milan on the final day

• Antonio wins Serie A Coach of the Year but that doesn't impress his president!

Antonio Conte had barely time to bask in winning the Serie A title with Napoli before he was put in his place by club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager became the first man to win the Italian title with three different teams as his side saw off Cagliari 2-0 with goals from Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku on the final day. 

The result sees Napoli top Serie A by a point after second-place Inter Milan matched their result at Como. 

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is already thinking ahead to next season's targets

Napoli's fourth ever title — and their second in three years  — prompted wild celebrations on the streets of the southern Italian city as smoke bombs, fireworks, and passionate chants filled the air.

The achievement saw Conte crowned as Serie A Coach of the Year but that did not spare him from being immediately put under pressure by his boss who is already starting to think about next season.

Napoli did not play in Europe this season, a consequence of last year's miserable title defence which saw them finish 10th.  

Le scene dei festeggiamenti per la vittoria del campionato del Napoli, stanno facendo il giro del mondo, per la gioia dei milioni di tifosi emigrati. #NapoliCagliari#Napoli #Scudetto #CampioneDItalia #SerieA pic.twitter.com/UMwNKR0WZU

— Marco Ferraglioni (@MFerraglioni) May 23, 2025

And De Laurentiis is hungry for the Neapolitans to get their hands on a first European trophy since the Diego Maradona-inspired UEFA Cup triumph in 1989. 

Scott McTominay puts up four fingers to mark the number of titles won by the Neapolitans

'Never say never,' the 75-year-old told DAZN when asked if Conte was staying.

'Coaches have their own character that must be respected and in my view you should never oblige them under iron-clad contracts. Napoli is Napoli, it deserves respect. If he wants to put himself at the disposal of the club the way he has done this season, then we say welcome, we are ready to follow him like a great leader.

'Next year, I would be very pleased if he made his mark in the Champions League, which since they modified the format has become even more important.'

Napoli supporters party late into the night on the streets of the southern Italian city

Although that may seem a rather churlish way to speak about your league-winning manager to the backdrop of raucous Neapolitan celebration, De Laurentiis did temper those comments with some warm words about Conte. 

'It was not easy, but when I met Conte in the Maldives and many years ago we went swimming together, I was struck by his mentality,' De Laurentiis said.

'I approached him in November 2023 and asked him to come straight away, but very professionally, he said he didn’t build that team, so it was best to wait until June so then we could do something really special together.'

McTominay sent Napoli toward their title triumph on Friday night by scoring a brilliant opening goal. The Scot signed from Man United last summer for £25million and has been a revelation in southern Italy, winning the Serie A Player of the Year award.

Back in Manchester, United boss Ruben Amorim was no doubt looking on with interest just 48 hours after his side were beaten 1-0 by Tottenham in the Europa League final. Across the city, Kevin de Bruyne may also have taken note. 

It's quite the turnaround after the Partenopei finished 10th during last season's title defence

The Belgian legend will leave Man City this summer when his contract expires after a decade at the Etihad Stadium in which he has scored 108 goals and won 19 trophies, including the Champions League.

Napoli has been touted as a possible location for the 33-year-old but when De Laurentiis was asked if a move was on the cards, he was more circumspect with his words. 

'Let us not ask indiscreet questions,' he said.

'We are working to create an even stronger and more competitive squad. We have wonderful players right now and will add more of the highest level.'

- MailOnline Sport

NAPOLI SURVIVE SERIE A CLASH AGAINST ATALANTA WITH 3-2 WIN

 

ANKARA

Napoli survived an Italian Serie A week 21 clash against Atalanta with a 3-2 win Saturday.

Italian forward Mateo Retegui scored the first goal for the hosts in the 16th minute at Atalanta's Gewiss Stadium.

Italian winger Matteo Politano responded in kind in the 27th minute.

Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay brought the lead to Napoli in the 40th minute.

Atalanta's Nigerian attacker Ademola Lookman equalized in the 55th minute.

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku tallied the winning goal for Napoli in the 78th minute.

Napoli cemented their top seat with 50 points, while Atalanta are in the third spot with 43 points.

- Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

NOTTINGHAM FOREST & ATLÉTICO MADRID ARE ON 🔥

 

MCKENNIE, WEAH SCORE AS JUVENTUS DRAW WITH PARMA

United States internationals Weston McKennie and Tim Weah salvaged Juventus' unbeaten start to the season.

The duo scored on Wednesday to help Juventus draw 2-2 at Parma. Enrico Delprato and Simon Sohm had twice given Parma the lead.

Juventus are on 18 points, seven adrift of leaders Napoli, and slipped to fourth as Atalanta moved a point ahead after their 2-0 win over Monza. Parma are 14th on nine points.

It was the second successive game Juventus had to come from behind to salvage a point after a 4-4 draw at Inter Milan on Sunday.

"I think today we conceded too many restarts. At their goal kicks we were trying to bring the defender out to then be able to press and cause an error, but we didn't succeed," Juventus head coach Thiago Motta told broadcaster DAZN.

"In the defensive phase we made a lot of mistakes."

Parma started fast and after working the ball across the pitch from a corner kick, Adrián Bernabé's cross into the box was nodded back across goal by Botond Balogh and Delprato headed into the roof of the net.

Juventus should have drawn level 10 minutes later after Zion Suzuki saved a header from McKennie, but when the rebound fell to Dusan Vlahovic he somehow sent his shot over the bar.

McKennie, however, made no mistake when his USMNT teammate Weah whipped a ball into the area, steering his header past the dive of Suzuki but Parma were soon back in front as Juventus struggled to deal with the pace of the visitors.

Dennis Man collected a long ball in the area and pulled back the perfect pass for Sohm to drill past Di Gregorio and they held their lead until the break.

Juventus's unbeaten record was on the line but they pulled level again shortly after the interval. Khephren Thuram powered through from midfield before passing to Francisco Conceição out wide and his cross was volleyed home by Weah from close range.

In the draw at Inter, Kenan Yildiz came off the bench to score the two goals which levelled the match, but the Turkish forward was among the substitutes against Parma, replacing Weah and almost scoring an added-time winner.

"Weah played well at San Siro and again today, scoring," Motta told Sky Sports.

"Kenan coming on later, with the game more open, is an ideal player to create situations. He has freedom in the final metres, it was normal today to want to open things up against such a closed team."

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Game Information

Allianz Stadium

10:45 PM, October 30, 2024

Torino, Italy

Line: JUV -1.5

Over/Under: 2.5

Referees: Luca Zufferli

- ESPN News Services

ARSENAL'S UGLY WIN, REAL MADRID'S MIDFIELD, MORE SOCCER NEWS

Arsenal adjusted to their absent midfield players and baited Tottenham into playing a much slower game, which allowed them to sneak a win via a second-half set piece. David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Club football returned after a two-week international break and delivered a ton of talking points across the top European leagues. In the Premier League, Arsenal got an ugly (but effective) win over their north London rivals, Tottenham, while Liverpool took a big step back with a shock home defeat to Nottingham Forest. In LaLiga, Kylian Mbappé scored and Real Madrid snagged a win at Real Sociedad, but their midfield issues and misfiring forward line still need to be addressed.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich's direct offense was no match for lowly Holstein Kiel, and in Serie A, Napoli got a big win that should ease concerns around this squad's potential under manager Antonio Conte. We also got plenty to discuss from Barcelona's 4-1 thrashing of Girona, Chelsea's late victory at Bournemouth, Inter Milan's squad rotation and much more.

It's Monday. Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football.

Injury-hit Arsenal gut it out and find another way to best one-dimensional Tottenham

Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou talked about how, despite his team's 1-0 defeat, they "controlled" the home match against Arsenal on Sunday. I beg to differ -- more possession does not equal control, not when it's sterile and you don't use it to create enough quality chances. You don't need expected goals to reaffirm this, but the fact that, once they went behind, Spurs managed six shots for a total xG of 0.19 (and just one with an xG above 0.03) only underscores this.

In fact, Arsenal got Tottenham to play the sort of game they wanted -- one where the Gunners were more conservative, their wingers tracked back, their forwards worked harder, their defenders sat deeper to deny space and where Tottenham came up against a dense block of black shirts in the final third. If Arsenal could nick a goal on a counterattack on top of that, via an individual moment of magic, an opponent's mistake or a set piece, then all the better. They won't admit it, but for Arsenal, coming off the Brighton draw and with a trip to face Manchester City, this was more of a "can't lose" than a "must win."

That was the game plan, and they were rewarded with Gabriel heading home the only goal for the three points. This wasn't the way Arteta plays normally, but the unavailable midfield options -- Declan Rice suspended, and Martin Ødegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino all injured -- left him little choice. So he asked Jorginho and Leandro Trossard to do things a bit differently, and he tightened the ship, getting his ugly win. You can teach players to do things differently, but there is no better teacher than actually doing them and having them work on the pitch.

As for Spurs, they can recriminate about two big calls going against them. Between the way Jurriën Timber tackled Pedro Porro and subsequently grabbed Guglielmo Vicario's shirt, he could have been sent off. Equally, Gabriel's two-handed shove on Cristian Romero might have caused his goal to be disallowed, but we're talking "could" and "might" here. Different day, different referee, possibly different reaction from Romero, who might have gotten the call if he had thrown himself to the ground, rather than just stutter-stepping the way he did.

These can't be alibis. (Oh, and Romero might want to answer just why he found himself in that position anyway.)

The reality is that when Spurs had the ball, they couldn't find a way through and ended up clogging up the final third with bodies. Postecoglou likes his attacking football and believes in giving players freedom and encouraging them to take risks. But with the crosses not working -- summer signing Dominic Solanke still needs to settle -- you would have liked to see them try something else. Either more situations where his players took on opponents to win a free kick or create an overload (goodness knows they have enough guys who can do that, with Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-Min, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert) or more in terms of structure and patterns of play. Instead, all we got was more bodies, more fullbacks coming inside and more speculative shots: of the six they attempted in the last half-hour, five were from outside the area.

Trusting your players and empowering them to make the right decisions is great, but they need to have concepts because it's a team game. And when they make bad decisions time and again -- Romero being Exhibit A -- you need to figure out why they're not moving up the learning curve. There's enough talent on this team to have a real impact this season. But there is plenty to figure out. Starting with not deluding yourself into thinking you controlled the game when, in fact, it was your opponents who had you right where they wanted you and got you to play the game they wanted you to play.

Lucky win for Real Madrid away to Real Sociedad, as they're no further forward on the usual concerns

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was blunt: "We didn't deserve to win." When your opponent hits the woodwork three times and carves out a number of chances while you convert two penalties, both of them correctly awarded and both gifts (especially the Sergi Gómez one), he's stating the obvious. He wasn't just talking about the incidents, though; he was talking about how his team struggled with Real Sociedad's high press, particularly in the first half.

The easy answer is to blame the absentees, and sure, had Jude Bellingham, Aurélien Tchouaméni and/or Eduardo Camavinga been available -- rather than being forced to play with a trio of two guys, Arda Güler and Fede Valverde, whose natural instinct is to carry the ball and another, Luka Modric, who is 39 -- it might have been a different story. But it's worth remembering that Madrid weren't exactly balanced when Bellingham and Tchouaméni were around. So when they return, it's unlikely to be an instant fix.

And the reality is that it's not just about them. Brahim Díaz is a solid bet on the right, but he came off injured, and Rodrygo took his poor Brazil form with him onto the pitch. Vinícius' main contributions were winning the penalties, which isn't nothing, but they had more to do with opponents being rash or silly. The good news is that Mbappé did look a lot better playing centrally and showed plenty of energy. Still, the midfield won't fix itself on its own: the players there need help from the front three and, so far, there's little progress in that department.

Can you win your 16th Champions League with this group of players? Of course you can. Thibaut Courtois can shut folks down, and Vini and Mbappé can resolve games single-handedly. But to give yourself the best possible chance, you need to turn this group of individuals into a balanced team, and we're not there yet.

Setback against Nottingham Forest highlights Liverpool's Achilles heel

Like most teams, Liverpool have more than one area with room for improvement. The usual scapegoats are the defenders -- particularly Trent Alexander-Arnold, particularly in transition -- but there is one area that dogged them even in Jurgen Klopp's heyday. When opposition sides shut up shop and sit deep, leaving Liverpool's forwards no space to run into, things can get real tough, real fast. The club know this. It's the reason Klopp brought in Thiago Alcantara back in the day, and the reason they chased Martín Zubimendi all summer.

When the opposition closes ranks, possession becomes critical to unlock defences -- whether in terms of individual creativity or patterns of play -- and, as Arne Slot himself conceded, Liverpool's was too sterile in the home defeat to Nottingham Forest. Sure, it might well have been a different story if Luis Díaz's early chance had gone in, instead of hitting the post ... but it didn't, and Nottingham Forest simply put on a defensive masterclass, led by the exceptional Murillo.

So what do you do in those circumstances? You can't just rely on the old standbys of taking on opponents and set pieces. It helps to have meaningful and incisive possession. Can they get that with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in the middle? Possibly, but only with time and only if they get their movement right up front. Otherwise, you get the sort of barren attacks we saw on Saturday, and the perpetual risk of a critical counterattack.

Gaudy 4-0 win for Conte's Napoli at Cagliari, but was it really all that?

I'd argue "no," and emphatically so. They scored an early deflected goal, they gave up a bunch of chances, Alex Meret made some huge saves, Cagliari hit the woodwork and then Khvicha Kvaratskhelia put the game to bed with 24 minutes to go. The final two scores were courtesy of a goalkeeping error and a garbage-time goal.

Manager Antonio Conte talked about how his team was "growing" and how last season "they didn't like to get their hands dirty." Maybe he was referring to Kvaratskhelia's furious pressing, or maybe simply playing to his drill sergeant character -- either way, this is still very much a work in progress, and there are a lot of skeptics to convince otherwise.

Three of his newcomers -- Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and David Neres -- came off the bench, and it's too early to make a call on them. The way he bigged up Romelu Lukaku -- and there is no changing the fact that, in the popular narrative at least, the club chose him over Victor Osimhen -- was also telling. Said Conte postmatch, "He is critical to us, and he was excellent already today ... that's why I always wanted him, wherever I went."

Conte's track record at clubs where he has worked, especially in his first season, speaks for itself. So there's reason to believe. But rarely has a club made so much effort, relative to their means, to satisfy him. That faith was repaid on Sunday in terms of result, not yet in terms of performance.

Quick hits

TEN -- Kompany's vertical game no match for Holstein Kiel: Was Vincent Kompany the right choice for Bayern? Time will tell, but what you can say definitely is that his north-south direct approach can be devastating against subpar opponents such as newly promoted Holstein Kiel. This weekend's 6-1 away drubbing saw Bayern 3-0 up after 12 minutes and game over. Bayern look markedly different under Kompany, though the circumstances necessarily mean much of the game was basically a walk-through. Still, Kane got his first hat-trick of the season, and Jamal Musiala showed he can be close to unplayable in this system.

NINE -- Man City have not one cheat code, but two ... and Pep Guardiola isn't afraid to use them: The Erling Haaland "Cheat Code" trope is fun -- and not inaccurate, as evidenced by his nine goals in four games, which puts him on pace to score 85 league goals this season -- but Éderson has to be Cheat Code 2.0. On Saturday, when Brentford's stifling press was giving City fits (a gaggle of regulars -- Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden -- were on the bench, which didn't help), Guardiola gave him the green light to go long, and he did so with poise and accuracy. We saw this with City's second goal, when Haaland effortlessly rolled the centre-back and thundered towards the net. It's an extra weapon when the patient build-up doesn't work, but just as important is Guardiola's willingness to use it.

EIGHT -- Barcelona bandwagon rolls on, powered by Lamine Yamal: OK, so the first goal was one of those build-up gifts and the second poked through a crowded penalty box, but you still need to be there to take advantage of it, and Yamal was, just as he usually is. It made all the difference too because, for all of Barça's dominance, the first half against Girona was pretty darn close in terms of chances: 0.84 to 0.60 xG. Two moments of genius (Dani Olmo's finish and Marc Casadó setting up Pedri) and a moment of foolishness (Ferran Torres' needless red) rounded out the game and the 4-1 win. It's been said before that Yamal has the calm and maturity of a guy 10 years older. Maybe so, but he's still 17. If Barça time it right if and when he takes a breather, the likes of Gavi, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araújo will be back to take some of the pressure off.

SEVEN -- All forgiven in Milan for Theo Hernández and Rafael Leão? If optics matter when things go awry (as they did with the "cooling break incident"), then they also matter when things go well. And the fact that Milan's opening goal in the 4-0 romp over Venezia showcased just why Theo and Leão are so important to this team -- the Frenchman winning the ball, thundering forward and completing a give-and-go with Leão's back-heel assist before beating the keeper -- does matter. So too does the embrace between Leão and manager Paulo Fonseca later in the game. As for the game, Venezia were horrible, especially keeper Jesse Joronen, and you're not going to learn too much about Milan when you're 4-0 up inside half an hour. But the vibe is positive, and it gave the crowd a huge lift ahead of Tuesday's Champions League home opener with Liverpool.

SIX -- Manchester United might be tougher than you think: Admit it, Manchester United are tougher than you think. An 18-year-old named Tyler Dibling was tearing them apart; you wondered how long Christian Eriksen would last in central midfield (with Casemiro on the naughty step and Manuel Ugarte not ready to start); and Southampton were awarded a penalty. At that moment, it looked like another rough day for Erik ten Hag; instead, André Onana saved it, United scored twice before the break, then dominated the second half and failed to allow a shot the rest of the way. Whatever negativity exists around Ten Hag (and there's a lot of it, much of it justified), the players are able to compartmentalize it. Or, at least, they were on Saturday. There's a lot to be improved, but whatever else United lack, it doesn't appear to include character.

FIVE -- Is Ousmane Dembélé ready to fill (part of) Mbappé's big shoes for PSG? I'm not talking in terms of goals, obviously (though he already has three, which is as many as he had all of last season), but rather in terms of leadership and being a difference-maker. The winger bagged two (one, a rare header) in the 3-1 win against Brest, and this comes after the worldie he scored against Belgium for France. Post-Mbappé PSG is all about youth, energy and teamwork. At 27, Dembélé has more experience than most of his teammates, but equally, he's also been one of the game's unexplained mysteries, never starting more than 22 league matches in a season. Yet when he's fit, the mere fact of being an elite two-footed athlete can make him close to unplayable. Not quite like Mbappé on his day, but maybe not too far off either...

FOUR -- Conor Gallagher was unwanted at Chelsea, but he's shining with Atletico: Gallagher didn't leave Chelsea only because they weren't sure where he fit: the need to balance the books obviously played a huge part. But "fit" was important, and it's a key part of his early success at Atletico Madrid, who crushed Valencia 3-0 on Sunday. Gallagher opened the scoring and was a virtual dervish in midfield, doling out tackles and running himself into the ground. It's just what you want from him if you're Diego Simeone and play the sort of system he plays, with two forwards, a wingback and a deeper-lying playmaker. Gallagher is free to be his disruptive self, in and out of position, and it suits him -- and Atleti -- perfectly.

THREE -- No need for Juventus to overreact after consecutive scoreless draws: Sure, manager Thiago Motta was supposed to bring youth, excitement and attacking football to the club, but in the past two outings -- home to Roma and away to Empoli -- Juve delivered four shots on target, 1.49 xG and zero goals. Give it time. Douglas Luiz, Teun Koopmeiners and Nico González were all making their first starts and, as if there's a smidge of the past DNA still in this team, they're the only side in Europe's Big 5 leagues who have yet to concede a goal.

TWO -- No idea how the pieces fit together, but talent papers over the cracks for Chelsea: Make no mistake about it. Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho -- who combined on the late goal in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth -- are extremely gifted. Arguably more technically gifted than almost everyone else at the club, and certainly more than the guys they replaced. Technical ability, however, is just one part of an equation, and it's not clear how they fit Enzo Maresca's puzzle. What they don't lack, however, is motivation. And it's handy to have them around, especially on days like Saturday when the team is otherwise misfiring.

ONE -- Inter held to a draw, but blaming squad rotation is a bit lazy: As you'd expect, Simone Inzaghi rotated his team with Manchester City coming up next in the Champions League, leaving out Denzel Dumfries, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Barella and Hakan Çalhanoglu. They were held 1-1 at Monza and didn't play particularly well, so naturally, the knee-jerk reaction is to question his rotation. It's also wrong. Inzaghi rotates; that's what he does, and that's how he built his success. Giving Kristjan Asllani or Carlos Augusto a shot makes sense, and if you really want to go there, Monza's goal was an improbable worldie from Dany Mota. Inter had more than enough to win the game, outshooting Monza 16 to 5 -- the issue, if anything, is that Lautaro Martínez had an off day (in keeping with his start to the season) and some of the second string didn't step up. It doesn't mean the concept of rotation is wrong or, at least, wrong for Inzaghi and Inter.

- Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

$415M ROMELU LUKAKU

2011: Anderlecht ➡️ Chelsea—$17M

2013: Chelsea ➡️ Everton—$4M (loan)

2014: Chelsea ➡️ Everton—$40M

2017: Everton ➡️ Man Utd—$95M

2019: Man Utd ➡️ Inter—$83M

2021: Inter ➡️ Chelsea—$127M

2022: Chelsea ➡️ Inter—$9M (loan)

2023: Chelsea ➡️ Roma—$7M (loan)

2024: Chelsea ➡️ Napoli—$33M

$415M has been spent on Romelu Lukaku 💸

- BR Football

AL AHLI AGREE £40M DEAL WITH BRENTFORD FOR IVAN TONY - SOURCES

Ivan Toney has agreed to join Al Ahli from Brentford. Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images

Al Ahli have agreed a £40 million ($53m) deal to sign Ivan Toney from Brentford, sources have told ESPN.

The 28-year-old has agreed terms on a lucrative three-year contract and is set to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed move.

As of Friday morning, it was unclear whether the Saudi Pro League's pursuit of Toney would have any impact on their negotiations with Napoli for Victor Osimhen.

Toney has less than one year remaining on his contract at Brentford and the west London club have reluctantly admitted they need to cash in on the wantaway striker this month rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Toney has scored 72 goals in 141 appearances for Brentford and speaking on Thursday, Brentford boss Thomas Frank confirmed the England international would not be part of Saturday's matchday squad to face Southampton, regardless of what happened on deadline day.

"I can say that Ivan will not play on Saturday," Frank said.

"I can say I'm very happy to speak about the players who played last night [against Colchester] or the players who will play tomorrow.

"Ivan is training well, and in good spirits, and I'm happy to [answer] more questions about Ivan the next time we are sitting here."

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

OFFICIAL: COMO SIGN REINA ON FREE TRANSFER

Newly promoted Serie A side Como have confirmed the purchase of ex-Napoli and Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

Cesc Fabregas’ Como have confirmed the signing of experienced goalkeeper Reina.

The 41-year-old spent the last two seasons at Villarreal, and his contract with Yellow Submarine expired in June.

“Como 1907 is pleased to announce the signing of Pepe Reina until June 2025,” the Azzurri said in a statement.

“An experienced goalkeeper, Reina has defended the goals of Barcelona, Villareal, Liverpool, Napoli, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Aston Villa and Lazio in his career.

“He has been named the Premier League’s best goalkeeper three times in his career and also boasts 36 appearances with the Spanish national team with whom he participated in the winning expeditions to the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships.”

Cesc Fàbregas commented on Reina’s signing for the club: “We are thrilled to welcome Pepe to the club. He is a goalkeeper with great international experience and a very competitive mentality. For these reasons, I am sure that his contribution will help the team to grow and improve.”

Pepe Reina commented after signing: “I arrive in a beautiful project, a family that continues to grow and tries to raise the bar every year. I return to a league that I know well and that I know is very competitive, for my part I want to give my contribution to the development of this club.”

- Lorenzo Bettoni

GEORGIA'S KVARATSKHELIA STUNS 'BOYHOOD IDOL' RONALDO

ESPN FC 

 GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Fans came to Gelsenkirchen to see the Portugal No. 7 Cristiano Ronaldo make more history, but left the Arena AufSchalke having seen Georgia's No. 7 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, spurred on by over 15,000 of his fellow countrymen, lead his nation into the knockout stages of a major tournament for the first time.

This was a night that will live long in the memory of Napoli winger Kvaratskhelia, who scored the first goal in a 2-0 win, and every other Georgian, whether watching at the stadium or on a screen back in the capital city, Tbilisi, who witnessed the 74th-ranked team in FIFA's rankings beat the sixth best. Almost 10 minutes after the final whistle, some players still could not believe it. After leading the supporters in chanting and clapping, they clutched their heads, struggling to grasp a last 16 tie now awaits them against Spain in Cologne on Sunday.

Their coach, Willy Sagnol, only let himself believe once the game had stopped. He joined Bayern Munich as a player the year after the German side lost the 1999 Champions League final to Manchester United in stoppage time and that was on his mind as time ticked down here.

"If you want me to be honest, it's when the referee blew the whistle at the end [that I believed]," he said in a news conference. "Football has made a lot of stories like that, when you think you are winning and lose in the last minute -- Bayern against United comes to mind. I was watching the time, every 10 seconds, and in the end just felt very empty.

"We were dreaming of qualifying but did not think it was doable. I thought we reached our maximum by qualifying in March, but football is never written beforehand."

The narrative had actually been laid down in Georgia's first game in Germany. They might have lost to Turkey, but the lowest-ranked team at Euro 2024 won a lot of hearts with an energetic performance in one of the most entertaining phases of the group stage. They followed that up with a draw against Czechia, setting the stage for Wednesday's historic evening.

In Kvaratskhelia, a Serie A winner with Napoli, they boast one of the best wingers on the continent. When he gets the ball, there is a buzz among the supporters that anything is possible. It took him just 92 seconds to open the scoring, finishing well after being played in by teammate Georges Mikautadze. It's the earliest goal Portugal have ever conceded at a European Championship.

"Khvicha" chants echoed around the stadium. This was quickly turning into a performance worthy of the No. 7 shirt for any country at the tournament.

A scintillating run in the 35th minute drew a free kick and eased the pressure on his backline. A similar run in the 65th minute, Georgia 2-0 up by now, had a similar effect and brought more adulation from the fans. It was in contrast to the fortunes of Portugal's No. 7, Ronaldo, who was taken off in the same minute after a quiet night.

It had been anything but a quiet day around Gelsenkirchen, though, as the Ronaldo roadshow rolled into town. Fans filled the air with his customary "Siuuuuuu" shout as they got off the train and drunk in squares, Georgia fans responding with Lionel Messi chants. There were shirts of all his former clubs, Sporting Club, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and his current teams, Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr and the Portuguese national team, all with his name on the back.

They had come to see him make more history. Despite making eight changes with progress from the group already sealed, coach Roberto Martínez stuck with Ronaldo as his central striker. "He needs the competitive rhythm, it's no good stopping and starting," Martínez explained.

A goal would have made Ronaldo, now 39, the oldest-ever scorer in the Euros. He is already the top scorer (14) and the top assist provider (8) in the history of the tournament, but the next record will have to wait. He has now failed to score in the group stage of a major tournament for the first time ever, the end of an incredible run that began at Euro 2004.

For once, this was about the other No. 7, who said he had grown up idolising Ronaldo and collected his shirt after the game.

"I got Ronaldo's jersey and we've made it through to the next round," Kvaratskhelia, named Player of the Match by UEFA, said in a news conference. "This is the best day in the lives of Georgian football fans. We've made history, no one would believe we'd make it happen. No one would believe we could beat Portugal but that's why we're a strong team; if there's even a 1% chance, we've shown we can make it happen.

"Before the match there had been a meeting [with Ronaldo] and he wished me success; I'd never imagine he would come and talk to me. He's a great player and a great person. That's why he's a great personality in and out of football; I have so much respect for him, he's one of the best players in the world. When he comes to talk to you before the match, that's amazing; that helped us believe we could do something today."

It was not just about Kvaratskhelia, though. Striker partner Mikautadze was electric, setting up the first goal and converting the second, a penalty awarded after a VAR check. The French-born forward is the top scorer at the tournament with three goals -- more than the entire France team -- and is just the ninth person to score three or more in the group stage ever.

Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who didn't have to be as good as he was against Czechia when he made a tournament-high 11 saves, was impressive once again. He has perhaps been the best goalkeeper in Germany.

"If you analyse them, you'd talk about their goalkeeper, who's had three years at the highest level and had a wonderful game, and Kvaratskhelia, who's one of the top five dribblers in Europe," Portugal coach Martínez said in a news conference.

"The only surprise was that they managed to retain the intensity and belief for the 90 minutes, because it was only in the last 10 minutes we had any clear-cut chances. Their coach has done a wonderful job."

Deflecting the limelight, Kvaratskhelia added: "There was no individual best player today. It was the team, and we proved to everybody that we can really play."

As the buoyant fans left the Arena AufSchalke, the Napoli shirts among the red-and-white Georgia tops became more obvious, the "Khvicha" chants now louder than they had been at any time in the day. His deflection tactics will likely be no good for nearly 3.8 million Georgians back home, who will never forget where they were when Georgia's No. 7 was the name on everyone's lips.

- Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent

PSG FAVOURITES TO REACH SEMIFINALS DESPITE BARCELONA WIN - XAVI

Xavi is seeking to reach his first Champions League semifinal as a coach. FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

 Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said Paris Saint-Germain remain favourites to win the teams' Champions League quarterfinal tie, despite his side winning Wednesday's first leg 3-2 in the French capital.

Raphinha scored twice and substitute Andreas Christensen headed the winner the 77th minute at the Parc des Princes to give Barcelona the edge heading back to Spain for the second leg next week.

"PSG are still the favourites," Xavi said in his postgame news conference. "It will be very difficult to win in Barcelona.

"Today we played well because we were united defensively. I'm very proud, everything worked well. We have to improve our concentration in the first minutes of the second half. We managed to mature and recover from a match that became very difficult."

Barcelona, who beat Napoli in the round of 16, are seeking to reach their first Champions League semifinal since 2019 following back-to-back group-stage exits.

"I hope the ghosts have died," Xavi added. "We've gone through difficult years in the Champions League recently. This win shows that Barça are still alive."

PSG looked to have recovered from Raphinha's opener when Ousmane Dembélé equalised in the 48th minute against his former club. Three minutes later midfielder Vitinha put PSG ahead from Fabián Ruiz's pass in a pulsating match where Dembélé also hit the left post moments before Christensen's winner.

"We are not happy with the defeat," PSG manager Luis Enrique, who won the treble with Barcelona in 2015, said. "The second leg will be like a final now, it's our objective. I have no doubt that we can qualify. I congratulate Barcelona for their win and their performance.

"We could have done better and we will have to improve some things for the second leg but I'm still satisfied by what I saw tonight. We controlled well our emotions I thought but the game swung on details. The manager is also responsible for the results. I chose players because I thought they would be best for this game but it didn't work. We changed our plans at half-time and we scored two goals."

Luis Enrique refused to comment on Kylian Mbappé's performance, as the France captain was shackled by Barcelona's defence and had little impact on the game.

However, he said that Barça were not necessarily favourites even with a win in hand and the home field advantage.

"We are going to go to Barcelona to fight a war," he said.

"I never see the opposition as favourites, whoever they are. In top-level competition, that's how I see it. And I will continue to believe that we will go to Barcelona to win the game.

"I repeat. We could have won this game. [Football] is about small details and let's hope that the small details go our way in the second leg."

Information from ESPN's Julien Laurens, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- ESPN News Services

HOW A DE LAURENTIS EMAIL LED TO NAPOLI'S COLLAPSE IN JUST 11 MONTHS

Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis oversaw a historic season in which his club won a first league title since the 1980s. Less than a year later, the club are in disarray after a series of baffling decisions. Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images

 A trophyless season beckons for Napoli, just a year after dominating Serie A and reaching the quarterfinal of the Champions League. And when the regret fades for not overcoming an injury-hit Barcelona in the round of 16 -- they had their shot and didn't take it, though maybe if Jesper Lindstrom's header had been on target, and if Pau Cubarsí's challenge on Victor Osimhen had been punished with a penalty, who knows? -- they may reflect on what happened to their club over the past 11 months. Maybe, one day, it will make a Harvard Business School case study and you'll be able to pick one up here. Except it will be a compendium of worst practices, rather than best practices -- a string of don'ts instead of do's.

This is the story of how a single, ill-advised certified email started a chain of events that led to the destruction of the greatest Napoli side since the days of Diego Armando Maradona. And all in less than a year.

Flash back to mid-April of last season. Napoli have just been knocked out of the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but it's OK: they're running away with the Serie A title. Osimhen is scoring a ton of goals, Georgian sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been dubbed "Kvaradona" (without charges of blasphemy) and coach Luciano Spalletti is the toast of Serie A.

Spalletti is a proud and somewhat eccentric man. His contract is up on June 30, but everyone assumes his extension is a slam dunk, and with a hefty raise too. He built this team, he loves the club and the city, he's settled and happy there. All he needs to do is sit down with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and work it out.

Except ... De Laurentiis has a flash of inspiration.

Napoli have the unilateral option to extend Spalletti's deal by a season on the same salary. In real terms, it doesn't mean much -- no club, in any sport, is going to keep a coach against his will -- but maybe it can be an opening gambit in the negotiation? You assume that's what De Laurentiis was thinking as he (or his assistants tasked with his emails) hit "send" on the certified missive informing Spalletti in dry legalese that his option year had been exercised.

Rarely has anything backfired so badly.

BARCELONA BEAT NAPOLI TO MAKE 1ST UCL QUARTERFINAL SINCE 2020

 

Robert Lewandowski sealed Barcelona's winover Napoli. Getty

Barcelona reached the Champions League quarterfinals for the first time in four years after a 3-1 win over Napoli in their round-of-16 second leg gave them a 4-2 aggregate victory on Tuesday.

Early goals by Fermín López and João Cancelo set the hosts on their way and, after Amir Rrahmani cut the deficit before the break, Robert Lewandowski wrapped up the win with a late third.

Barcelona had been eliminated in the group stage the last two years and hadn't reached the quarterfinals since 2019-20, when they lost to Bayern Munich. Club legend Lionel Messi left Barcelona at the end of the following season.

"Very happy, Barcelona are in the top eight in Europe. It was a well-deserved qualification, a game dominated in attack and defence but also an excellent game by Napoli," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez told Mediaset.

"Happy with the qualification and we'll see how the draw goes. Proud to be back in the quarterfinals after years."

The Champions League could be Barcelona's last realistic chance for a title this season. They were eliminated in the Copa del Rey and trail LaLiga leaders Real Madrid by seven points.

NAPOLI IN CRISIS AS OSIMHEN FEUDS WITH KAVRATSKHELIA'S AGENT

Getty

Napoli's struggling title defence took another turn for the worse on Wednesday as star striker Victor Osimhen took to social media to berate the agent of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Osimhen's comments came after Mamuka Jugeli, the agent in question, told a media outlet in Georgia that the Nigeria international is likely to move to Saudi Arabia "next summer" despite have recently signed a contract extension, whereas his client would never move to the Gulf state's lucrative league solely for the purpose of earning more money.

"Kvicha would not accept a similar transfer not even for a billion," Jugeli said.

"For example, he would prefer to play for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona or maybe Manchester City. Kvaratskhelia has different objectives and preferences"

"Dear Mamuka Jugeli, you are a piece of filth and a disgrace," Osimhen wrote in an Instagram story in response.

"I'm embarrassed at your sense of reasoning. Dumbf---! KEEP MY NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!!!

CEBALLOS SCORES LATE FOR REAL MADRID TO BEAT UNION BERLIN 3-2 AND STAY PERFECT IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

AP Photo 

BERLIN (AP) — Dani Ceballos scored late for Real Madrid to come from behind to beat Union Berlin 3-2 and complete a perfect Champions League group stage on Tuesday.

Ceballos grabbed the winner in the 89th minute, four minutes after Union substitute Alex Král equalized and kept alive Union’s hopes of clinching a Europa League place. The German team had needed a win and a favor from Napoli against Braga in the other group game to clinch a Europa League spot as the third-place finisher in the group.

Instead, Madrid made it six wins from six games in Group C. It’s the third time Madrid achieved the feat after doing so 2011 and 2014.

“Every time you pull on this jersey, you can't give anything away,” said Joselu, who scored Madrid's other two goals. “I think there's a weight when you put on this shirt that means you never give up, every game is important.”