News from Italy


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The Chinese investors who are finalising the £622 million takeover of AC Milan today have a list of targets that they want to take to the club to bring it back to its former glory.

They used to be one of, if not the, biggest team in Italy, together with rivals Inter, who share the same stadium and Juventus. Both the Milan clubs declined years ago and Juventus are far and away the number one club in the country.

Getting them back into a major force won't be easy, but they hope to entice Cesc Fabregas to go there, which would probably be a good move for him, if the project appeals to him. Everything is a project these days, even Mauricio Pochettino talks about the project at Tottenham being very hard, but fun.

Moussa Sissoko is another mentioned as a target by the Italian media. It is felt he could add some directness to a Milan midfield that passes sideways a lot, which rather suggests they need some creativity rather than directness. The fanciful Italian press even Harry Kane as a target last September, no chance of that one happening.

Tuttosport suggest Torino have rejected a £50.95 million(€60m - AUS$84.07m - US$63.8m) bid from Chelsea for star striker Andrea Belotti, who is believed to be holding talks with Barcelona. Chelsea are also reported to have offered an additional £33.96 million(€40m - AUS$56.04m - US$42.51m) in performance-related add-ons. Very understandable when dealing with large sums for young players who have yet to prove they can operate as effectively in different surroundings, with a different coach, in a different style of football in a different country.

Belotti is possibly the hottest striker in Italy right now and the 23-year-old (24 in September) is naturally highly sought after. Torino wants his £84.90 million (€100m - AUS$140.14m - US$106.33m) buyout clause met.


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£10 to £1,000 Challenge 5: Livorno game (Italy) Over 1.5 goals £70.88 to £102.07


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