Juve-Silva, Lucca’s dig, Vlahovic-Milan rivalry: today’s news

Turin, Italy – Juventus have accelerated their summer planning by opening talks with the representatives of Manchester City playmaker Bernardo Silva, whose contract runs until June 2026, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. While the Portugal international has resolved to delay any definitive choice until at least March, the economic stakes are already formidable: Silva currently earns a net €10 million per season and is expected to field lucrative proposals from Saudi Arabia.

The Bianconeri’s pursuit of Silva coincides with continued uncertainty in the attack. Massimiliano Allegri, reportedly unimpressed by the January loan arrival of Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, is keeping the striking department atop the off-season agenda. Dusan Vlahovic remains the coach’s preferred solution, yet the Serbian’s deal in Turin is winding down and Europe’s elite are circling. Footmercato cites enquiries from Tottenham and Chelsea in England, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in Spain, and Borussia Dortmund in Germany, with Barça viewing the 24-year-old as a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski.

Across the peninsula, Inter are laying groundwork for a defensive refresh. With veteran duo Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij likely to depart, the Nerazzurri have zeroed in on Wolfsburg’s 2003-born centre-back Konstantinos Koulierakis. La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that Juventus monitored the Greek international earlier in the campaign, but his valuation has since swelled to €35–45 million, drawing attention from Liverpool and Tottenham as well.

In the social-media sphere, striker Lorenzo Lucca stoked debate after marking his Nottingham Forest debut—an 87th-minute consolation in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Leeds—with an enigmatic Instagram post: “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The biblical reference, slightly re-worded, is widely interpreted as a swipe at former club Napoli, where Lucca managed just two goals in six months across Serie A and Coppa Italia.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Roma are poised to trigger a mandatory purchase clause for Verona defender Filippo Ghilardi. After paying €2.5 million for the initial loan, the Giallorossi will shell out an additional €9 million, with Il Messaggero reporting the obligation could be formalised as early as Monday’s clash with Cagliari. The structure mirrors deals that have allowed clubs to disguise obligations as options, a mechanism Napoli exploited with Torino for Vanja Milinković-Savić.

Lazio’s winter window took a negative turn when Union Berlin centre-back Diogo Leite sustained a two-month injury, scuppering a €2.5 million move that Sporting Director Angelo Fabiani confirmed had been “preliminarily agreed.” Yet Leite’s representatives pushed back in Portuguese newspaper A Bola, insisting “there has never been any verbal or written agreement” and that the player remains free to choose his next destination upon contract expiry.

Finally, Juventus defender Daniele Rugani is targeting a return to the squad for Saturday’s encounter with Como after recovering from a right-leg medial-gastrocnemius strain, while Genoa forward Albert Guðmundsson is set for tests today or tomorrow to determine the severity of an ankle issue, according to La Nazione.