Serie A

AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek has reportedly been offered to Chelsea, with Tottenham Hotspur also interested in the Poland international.

According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, the San Siro giants are looking to offload the player, but Spurs are not willing to pay the 24-year-old's £30 million asking price.

That could open the door for the Blues, who are said to be looking for a new forward. It's noted manager Frank Lampard wants to take the scoring load off Tammy Abraham, who was injured during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

La Gazzetta dello Sport's Nicolo Schira (h/t Football Italia) reported Spurs could broker a deal involving player exchanges, with Erik Lamela, Juan Foyth or Victor Wanyama potentially offered in order to decrease the fee.

However, Milan are said to prefer a fee matching their valuation or a loan leading to a compulsory sale at the end of a temporary switch.

Both English sides are considering their January options after key injuries, and Spurs must find a way to cover the loss of Harry Kane in attack.

Kane suffered a serious hamstring injury against Southampton on New Year's Day and might not return until the final weeks of the campaign, per BBC Sport.

Piatek has scored four goals in 18 Serie A appearances this term, and the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has added competition for the No. 9 position.

The Pole impressed at Genoa last season, scoring 13 goals in the Italian top-flight before his move to Milan last January. He found the net a further nine times in 18 appearances for the Rossoneri to finish the campaign. 

Piatek might be an excellent option for either London team while they are understrength, but it is questionable if the player would be a starter once Abraham and Kane are fully fit for their respective clubs. 

Cristiano Ronaldo scored for the eighth Serie A game in a row for Juventus on Sunday but could not prevent his side slipping to a 2-1 defeat to Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo.

The visitors saw more of the ball in the first half but did not manage a single effort on target. Their best chance was a wayward Ronaldo header just before half-time from a Paulo Dybala free-kick.

Napoli had the better chances, but both Arkadiusz Milik and Mario Rui sent efforts over the crossbar in an uneventful opening 45 minutes.

The hosts went ahead through Piotr Zielinski after 63 minutes. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could only parry a shot by Insigne, allowing the midfielder to tap home the opener.

Insigne volleyed home Napoli's second with four minutes of normal time remaining, and although Ronaldo pulled one back, it was to prove only a consolation.

Maurizio Sarri started with Blaise Matuidi in midfield, while Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Dybala all featured in attack. Gennaro Gattuso brought in goalkeeper Alex Meret for the injured David Ospina and also handed Fabian Ruiz a start:

Despite all the attacking talent on show, Juventus did not test goalkeeper Meret in the first half, as Napoli managed to keep the defending champions at bay.

Ronaldo did just get sight of goal in the first half but could not keep his header from Dybala's ball into the box down and saw it fly harmlessly over the bar.

The second half brought far more entertainment, although Juventus suffered an early blow when Miralem Pjanic was forced off through injury and replaced by Adrien Rabiot.

Sarri's men then thought they had taken the lead through Ronaldo. Dybala fired a shot off the post from Higuain's pass, and the Portuguese tapped the rebound into an empty net. However, his effort was ruled out for offside by Higuain in the build-up after a VAR check.

The chances then started to flow at both ends of the pitch. Zielinski curled an effort narrowly over the bar, while Higuain went for goal but saw his effort saved by Meret.

The breakthrough eventually came just after the hour mark. Insigne tried his luck from range with an effort that a diving Szczesny could only parry, allowing a grateful Zielinski to knock the rebound home (UK video only):

Sarri made a double change to try and get his team back in the game, sending on Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi for Matuidi and Dybala.

Yet it was Napoli who scored again late on to double their lead. Insigne volleyed home Jose Callejon's cross to spark wild celebrations.

There was still time left for Ronaldo to maintain his fine goalscoring form. The 34-year-old stabbed in from close range to give Juve hope of a late comeback:

Sarri's men almost came up with a dramatic finish too. Higuain managed to get on the end of Juan Cuadrado's cross but put his overhead kick straight at Meret.

The result means it's a miserable return to Napoli for former boss Sarri. His side miss the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points, while Napoli secure their first Serie A win of 2020 and move into 10th.

What's Next?

Juventus return to action at home to Fiorentina in Serie A on Sunday, February 2. Napoli play a day later at Sampdoria.

Inter Milan chief executive officer Beppe Marotta said on Sunday that a deal to bring Tottenham Hotspur's Christian Eriksen to the San Siro is close to completion.

Marotta told DAZN (h/t Football Italia) that he is optimistic the Nerazzurri have won the race for the Denmark international's signature.

"We won't hide, you all know we've been negotiating with Tottenham for some time. His contract is due to expire on June 30, so the only rights we are discussing are for those six months. We are optimistic and hope the deal can be finalised as soon as possible, especially as the transfer window closes on Friday."

Eriksen is expected to arrive in Milan on Monday and undergo a medical with Antonio Conte's side, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano:

Inter Milan will pay Tottenham £16.8 million for the playmaker, who will earn up to £320,000 per week at the San Siro, according to Sky Sports.

Eriksen joined Tottenham from Ajax in 2013 and has been a key player for Spurs. At his best he is a silky playmaker who brings goals and assists.

Opta noted his record in north London:

Yet Eriksen appears to have grown disillusioned at Tottenham and said in June 2019 that he wanted to leave. He told Ekstra Bladet (h/t Matt Law at the Telegraph) that he "would like to try something new."

Tottenham have tried to convince Eriksen to stay by offering him a new deal but that has been turned down, according to journalist Nicolo Schira:

Eriksen's arrival at Inter Milan will continue a busy transfer window for Conte's side and increase the number of former Premier League stars at the San Siro. The club have already signed Ashley Young from Manchester United and Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea, while Olivier Giroud remains a target, according to Sky in Italy (h/t Sky Sports).

Maurizio Sarri could walk away from management permanently after his time with Juventus is up. The 61-year-old, who had a spell with Napoli before winning the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea last season and taking over at Juve in the summer, has hinted at retirement.

Ahead of leading the Bianconeri against his former team Napoli on Sunday, Sarri said, per Football Italia: "After this experience, I could even retire. We’ll see how much energy I have left by the end of it."

However, while he sounded cold on the idea of carrying on beyond his stint in Turin, Sarri did leave the door open for another job: "Pressure is not really an issue, it's about what someone expects from themselves. If you focus on the circus, then you're done for. I don't know how I'll feel when my contract expires in two years. I might even continue and it'd be a bad idea."

Sarri, who signed a three-year contract with Juve, said he's "not thinking" about returning to Naples as manager. He guided Napoli to second in Serie A during the 2017/18 season while playing an entertaining brand of possession-based football dubbed by many as 'Sarriball.'

His performances with the Partenopei were parlayed into taking the Chelsea job in 2018. Beating Arsenal 4-1 in last season's Europa League final brought Sarri the first major trophy of his career, but a return to Italy to take charge of Serie A's dominant force proved too good to resist.

Keeping Juve at the summit of the top flight has been Sarri's remit, and so far he has the Bianconeri four points ahead of nearest rivals Inter Milan.

The main focus has been establishing a cordial working relationship with star forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Things have appeared strained between the pair at times, with Ronaldo visibly angry when substituted during consecutive games back in November.

However, player and manager have since formed a bond, and Ronaldo has been excelling under Sarri, scoring six goals in his last three league matches:

By contrast, Napoli are 12th in the table and have already replaced Carlo Ancelotti with Gennaro Gattuso in the dugout.

Sarri still has respect for his former squad, though, and isn't being fooled by the club's current mediocre standing: "I expect a difficult game, as Napoli are a strong team. Their current position in the table is strange, because they are the best in many aspects. Looking at the statistics, one feels they are destined to climb back up pretty quickly."

There is no denying the quality Napoli boast in forward areas, where Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Arkadiusz Milik can all be match-winners. Meanwhile, centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly remains a rock defensively.

Despite the talent at Gattuso's disposal, Juve should still be too strong for Napoli. Sarri's group may undergo a slight change, with the idea of a swap involving full-back Mattia De Sciglio joining Paris Saint-Germain while Layvin Kurzawa goes the other way.

Sarri said he remains in the dark about the potential deal: "I don't know. The director told me this is an idea."

Juve's strength in depth, regularly supplemented by smart recruitment, means Sarri has a great chance to end his career on a silverware-laden high should he choose to walk away in 2022.

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has said he came close to leaving Juventus in summer 2019 and does not know how long he will stay in Turin with the Italian champions.

Dybala told Sid Lowe at the Guardian that the club considered letting him depart after receiving approaches from Premier League sides Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

"I was close to leaving," he said, "That was in the club's thinking, I knew. Until the last minute, we were waiting."

Dybala ended up staying in Turin and has gone on to enjoy a strong campaign under new manager Maurizio Sarri. He has flourished under the Italian and has 11 goals and four assists in all competitions:

The Argentinian added that he is happy at Juve and that "Sarri's arrival has helped" but explained he is still unsure if his long-term future lies in Turin:

"I have two years left on my contract. That's not a short time but it's not a long one either. We'll see what plans Juventus have, if they think I might leave in the next market or if they want me to stay. That's a decision for the club to make. It’s hard to know because things change in a second."

Sarri made it clear that Dybala would be a big part of his plans when he was unveiled as Juventus manager in June, according to Italian football writer David Amoyal:

His impressive performances for the club this season have prompted speculation that Juve could try to get Dybala to commit his long-term future to the club and sign a new deal.

Goal's Romeo Agresti reported that Dybala is set to sign until 2024 on an improved contract that will see his salary increase to approximately €10 million (£8.5 million) per year.

Dybala's fine form this season has proved Juventus made a good decision keeping hold of the 26-year-old, and they will be keen to secure his future to ward off any future approaches for their Argentina international.

Inter Milan announced on Thursday that Victor Moses has joined on loan from Chelsea with an option to buy:

Moses had been on loan at Turkish side Fenerbahce but heads to the San Siro in a move that will see him reunited with former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

Moses will wear the No. 11 shirt at the San Siro and has spoken about the prospect of playing for the 50-year-old again in Serie A to Inter TV:

"Having the opportunity to work with the coach again is something I'm really happy about. I've spoken to him, and he's already explained the club's project to me. I want to be part of it, I'm happy to be here. I'll give my all and want to help the team. There's a lot of quality here, I want to make my contribution out on the pitch and enjoy myself. That's the most important thing."

Conte successfully converted Moses from a winger to a wing-back during his two years at Stamford Bridge, and the Nigerian played a key role in the Blues' Premier League title win in 2017:

Moses and Conte also won the 2018 FA Cup at Chelsea with a 1-0 win over Manchester United, but the Italian was sacked two months later by the Blues and replaced by Maurizio Sarri.

The arrival of Sarri saw Moses fall out of favour at Chelsea, and he left to join Fenerbahce on an 18-month loan in January 2019:

Moses made 16 appearances for Fenerbahce in his first season with the club but has only featured six times in 2019-20 and has been sidelined since November because of injury.

He will now be hoping to kickstart his career with a coach he knows well and enjoyed success with during their time in the Premier League.

Moses becomes Inter Milan's second recruit of the January transfer window and follows Manchester United's Ashley Young in making the move to the San Siro. 

Inter chief executive officer Beppe Marotta told football journalist Fabrizio Romano the club are also in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a move for Christian Eriksen and will also make a decision on whether to sign Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud.  

Maurizio Sarri praised Cristiano Ronaldo's physical and mental condition after the forward scored yet another goal in Juventus' 3-1 win over AS Roma in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday. 

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man has netted an incredible seven goals in four matches so far in 2020, and Sarri hopes the form can carry him to a sixth Ballon d'Or award, per Omnisport (h/t Goal):

"Ronaldo is in extraordinary physical and mental condition. He is continuing at an impressive pace and has extraordinary skills.

"He is very well physically. In terms of explosiveness, he is good. He takes great care of the details.

"Ronaldo is a champion. We want to help him win the sixth Ballon d'Or. It would make us all happy."

When congratulated for bringing the best out of the Portugal international, Sarri deflected the praise with a joke:

Ronaldo opened the scoring in Wednesday's quarter-final clash, setting Juventus on the path to another win. Rodrigo Bentancur and Leonardo Bonucci added to the lead before half-time, and a Gianluigi Buffon own goal was the only response the Giallorossi could muster after the break.

It was Juventus' fifth straight win in all competitions. The Bianconeri have lost just twice all season long, qualifying for the next round of the UEFA Champions League with ease and taking a four-point lead over Inter Milan in the Serie A standings.

Per Sarri, the defending champions are getting used to winning, although the domestic competition is tougher this campaign: "Winning is becoming normal. I'm happy for the team. But we don't have to look at the numbers because it will be more difficult this year. We will certainly have to do better than previous years if we want to be competitive in the league."

The former Napoli and Chelsea boss is starting to figure out his strongest lineup, putting faith in Adrien Rabiot since the turn of the year. He was a standout playing next to Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield on Wednesday and appears to have nailed down a spot in the starting XI at this point.

The likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Paulo Dybala have also been excellent of late, but Ronaldo has stolen the show with his incredible form. The 34-year-old went through something of a dry spell earlier this season―he had a five-match run with a single goal in October and November―but has been amazing in recent weeks:

The veteran has shown no signs of slowing down and continues to find success, regardless of his playing partners. Sarri has rotated Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain and even experimented with playing all three together, but nothing appears to faze Ronaldo, who can't seem to do anything wrong at the moment.

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his fine goalscoring form as Juventus cruised past Roma 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

The Portugal international fired the hosts in front on 26 minutes, while Rodrigo Bentancur squeezed home the hosts' second seven minutes before half-time.

Juventus added a third before the break when Leonardo Bonucci stooped to head Douglas Costa's cross past goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Roma pulled one back at the start of the second half but it proved to be only a consolation for the visitors.

Cengiz Under curled a shot from outside the penalty area that hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and went in after hitting goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Maurizio Sarri made several changes to his team, bringing in Buffon, Daniele Rugani, Bentancur and Douglas Costa. Roma were without a host of players due to injury and started with Nikola Kalinic in attack in place of the suspended Edin Dzeko:

Goal shared the two teams:

Roma started the game confidently and managed to push Juventus back, but they were undone when Ronaldo broke the deadlock.

Gonzalo Higuain played the ball out to Ronaldo on the left, and he sprinted towards goal before rifling a shot across goalkeeper Pau Lopez and into the far corner:

Juventus improved after the goal and added two more before half-time. The second arrived from the lively Bentancur after good work from Costa. The Uruguayan was played into the penalty area by Costa, went past Gianluca Mancini and scuffed a finish that sneaked just inside the post.

Italian football writer Adam Digby praised Bentancur for his performance:

Costa then forced Lopez into a save with a stinging shot after Bryan Cristante had gifted the Brazilian the ball, and Sarri's side looked a threat every time they attacked.

Bonucci added a third in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Costa floated a cross towards the back post for the centre-back to direct a firm header past Lopez.

Italian football writer Carlo Garganese was not too impressed with the defending on show:

The second half started in lively fashion with chances at both ends. Roma ought to have pulled one back but saw Lorenzo Pellegrini denied by Buffon, while Kalinic hit the post on the follow-up.

Juventus then raced down the other end of the pitch, with Ronaldo crossing for Higuain to direct a header on to the crossbar.

Roma came back at Juventus again and finally scored after a great effort from Under. The forward's curling shot beat Buffon but hit the crossbar, bounced down and went in off the goalkeeper.

The chances continued to flow in an entertaining second half. Buffon denied Alessandro Florenzi with a fine save, while Lopez had to be alert to block an effort from Higuain after a good cross from Juan Cuadrado. 

Ronaldo came close to a second on 83 minutes with a shot that flew inches wide of the post, and Buffon was needed again in stoppage time to deny Aleksandar Kolarov with a brilliant diving save.

What's Next?

Both teams return to Serie A action on Sunday. Juventus are at Napoli, while Roma face a derby clash with Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.

Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt has said he sympathises with fans who are disappointed with his start at the club, saying he "would also be angry" if he was in their position. 

De Ligt, 20, joined the Bianconeri from boyhood club Ajax in July 2019 for €75 million—the fourth-highest fee paid for a defender—but his first half of the season in Turin wasn't as comfortable as many predicted.

The Netherlands international told Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia): "It's normal, it's all normal. If I had been in their shoes, I would also be angry at such mistakes. But as a player these are problems that shouldn't interest me. I just have to think about working to improve myself, understand if I'm making progress or not."

He gave away a decisive penalty for a handball when Juve drew 1-1 at Lecce on October 26, and he was lucky not to gift another one week prior, in a 2-1 win over Bologna, via Premier Sports (UK viewers only):

Manager Maurizio Sarri kept his new signing in his first XI despite the criticism, and the centre-back's improvement from November onwards has rewarded that faith thus far. Merih Demiral—who joined Juve from Sassuolo this past summer—has also earned support to start more regularly.

De Ligt captained Ajax to the semi-finals of last season's UEFA Champions League, as well as winning the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup. He made his senior international debut in 2017 and has already amassed 23 caps, garnering attention for his maturity in the past couple of campaigns.

The youngster was recently awarded the 2019 Kopa Trophy by Kylian Mbappe—winner of the 2018 accolade—recognising the Dutchman as the best under-21 in the world last year, via France Football:

De Ligt was an unused substitute in back-to-back league wins over Sampdoria and Cagliari, but he's since regained his starting place following an injury to Demiral.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a decisive brace in Sunday's 2-1 victory over Parma to help lift Sarri's side four points clear at the top of Serie A. Sportswriter Carlo Garganese also singled out De Ligt for praise:

Juventus have lost only once in 20 league outings this season, but Inter (17) and Lazio (18) have each conceded fewer than their 19 goals thus far.

De Ligt's contract in Turin doesn't expire until 2024, and the consensus at the time of his signing was that Juventus had captured arguably the most promising defender in Europe.

The player is again starting to display his maturity on the field, and his response to those critics off of it suggests he has the desire to recapture his former best.

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has said the team "must revolve" around star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portuguese solves so many problems for them. 

The Portugal international continued his brilliant run of form on Sunday with two goals in the team's 2-1 win over Parma in Serie A. It was a victory that saw Juve move four points clear of Inter Milan at the top of the table.

Speaking after the game, Sarri said Ronaldo can sometimes provide a conundrum for him, although the forward makes up for that with his goalscoring, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Ben Spratt of Goal).

"We have a champion who sometimes creates a problem for you but solves 100 of them," he said. "The rest of the team has to revolve around him."

Ronaldo's two goals were decisive for the Bianconeri:

The 34-year-old is enjoying his best run of form of the campaign:

Sarri said he wasn't pleased with some aspects of his team's display and said he tried to send a message to the rest of the team with his substitutions.

"The mental intensity can be improved, even the management of certain moments of the matches," he noted. "I don't even like dribbling in our own half in the last few minutes. I would prefer to concede a goal on the counter-attack than in our own penalty area."

Ronaldo gives Juventus an edge. While the Portuguese struggled for form and fitness earlier in the campaign, he now looks back to a level approaching his best again.

Per Squawka Football, Ronaldo moved to a landmark number of goals on Sunday, only for Lionel Messi to edge ahead again later in the day when he scored for Barcelona:

While Sarri's team haven't been at their fluid best of late, he will be pleased to see Ronaldo cranking up his goalscoring figures with the business end of the season coming closer into view.

With a four-point lead established over Inter, the Bianconeri are now big favourites to win Serie A again. It's in the UEFA Champions League where all eyes will be on Ronaldo to perform, though, as Juventus chase their first success in the competition since 1996.

Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the Champions League and has won the tournament five times in his career. If he can carry this kind of form into the competition, starting with the last-16 showdown against Lyon next month, then Juventus will be difficult to beat.