Serie A Daily Report - 2026-08-27

Rafael Leão’s proposed departure from AC Milan remained unsettled on Thursday, despite conflicting reports over an agreement with Galatasaray. Crypto Briefing reported that Milan had accepted a €45 million bid from the Turkish champions, with performance-related bonuses included, while Leão worked on personal terms over a possible four-year contract. However, Yahoo Sports Canada reported that the Portugal winger had not made a final decision, with Aston Villa also ready to meet Milan’s revised €50 million valuation. The competing accounts reflect a transfer still awaiting a definitive conclusion, with Leão’s next move one of the window’s most significant Serie A departures.

Leão was also left out of Milan’s squad for Friday’s home match against Venezia after training only once. Manager Ruben Amorim said the winger would not be called up and suggested that a move elsewhere could be the right outcome, while stressing that the situation could be addressed after the transfer window closes. The comments indicate that Leão’s relationship with Milan’s current project has reached a decisive stage, even though the destination and final fee remain unclear. His absence gives further weight to reports that the club are preparing to begin the season without one of their principal attacking players.

Inter were handed a demanding Champions League league-phase programme on Thursday, with Liverpool and Real Madrid among their opponents in the 2026-27 competition. President Beppe Marotta said the newly crowned Serie A and Coppa Italia holders “have the right to dream” after the draw in Monaco. Inter will host Liverpool, Club Brugge, Shakhtar Donetsk and VfB Stuttgart, while their away assignments include Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Feyenoord and Slovan Bratislava. The format requires each club to play eight different opponents, four at home and four away, making the draw an important early test of Inter’s European ambitions.

The fixtures place Inter among the most prominent teams in the competition and provide an immediate measure of their standing after domestic success. Real Madrid bring a reunion with former treble-winning coach José Mourinho, now in charge of the Spanish club, while Liverpool’s visit adds another heavyweight home fixture. Inter have reached two Champions League finals in the last four seasons, according to the report, and were the only Italian side in the top-seed pot. Their route to the knockout rounds will therefore be judged against an unusually strong collection of opponents.

Alphadjo Cisse emerged as one of AC Milan’s early-season talking points after scoring on his first start in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Torino. The 19-year-old midfielder opened the scoring as Milan began their Serie A campaign with an away win, then received a warm reception from supporters at the club’s flagship store on Wednesday. Cisse, who is known to fans as “Alpha”, joined Milan from Hellas Verona for €8 million in February before spending the remainder of the campaign on loan at second-tier Catanzaro. His unexpected promotion into the starting side has quickly put him in the spotlight.

Cisse said the debut and goal felt beyond anything he had imagined, and the reaction from Milan supporters showed how quickly the performance had connected with the club’s fanbase. His appearance also gives Ruben Amorim another young attacking option as Milan prepare to host Venezia on Friday. The manager said Milan needed greater stability and rotation to remain competitive across a Serie A season, and Cisse’s impact offers an example of how competition for places may be broadened. The challenge now is turning a memorable opening into a sustained role within the first-team squad.

Joshua Zirkzee moved closer to a possible Serie A return after Fiorentina reportedly proposed a £4.3 million loan deal to Manchester United, including an option to buy. Man Utd News attributed the proposal to journalist Matteo Moretto and said the two clubs remained in contact, with optimism growing over a potential agreement. GiveMeSport separately reported that Fiorentina were in advanced talks after submitting an official bid, while Juventus had also tracked the Dutch forward. Zirkzee joined United from Bologna for £36.5 million in 2024, but his future has become increasingly uncertain after struggling to establish himself at Old Trafford.

A move back to Italy would reunite Zirkzee with the league in which he produced some of his best football, although the reports describe a developing negotiation rather than a completed transfer. Fiorentina’s interest could depend on developments involving Moise Kean, who was reportedly seeking a move to Como, while Juventus’ pursuit was described as conditional on Jonathan David’s situation in Turin. For United, a departure would create room for further attacking changes late in the window. The structure of the proposed deal would also allow Fiorentina to assess Zirkzee before deciding whether to make the move permanent.

Bologna were reportedly examining several squad changes after opening their Serie A campaign with a 1-0 home defeat by Lazio on Monday. Yahoo Sports Canada reported that the club were looking at Fiorentina forward Albert Gudmundsson and exploring the possibility of bringing defender Arthur Theate back from Eintracht Frankfurt. The report also said Jonathan Rowe could be released to join Atalanta, potentially creating a chain of moves before the transfer deadline. Theate previously played for Bologna during the 2021-22 campaign before moving to Rennes in a deal worth €19 million and subsequently joining Frankfurt.

The activity reflects Bologna’s desire to strengthen under new head coach Domenico Tedesco after a difficult start, including disappointing pre-season results mentioned in the report. The proposed moves would address both ends of the squad: Gudmundsson would add an attacking option, while Theate would provide a familiar defensive presence. Rowe’s possible departure would, however, alter the club’s wide options and help explain the need for reinforcements. None of the reported moves had been completed, leaving Bologna with several linked decisions to resolve during the final days of the window.

Fiorentina had reportedly rejected Nottingham Forest’s opening offer for right-back Dodô, with the Serie A club seeking at least £8.5 million. The Nottingham Post reported that Forest had proposed £6 million and that negotiations remained apart over the 27-year-old’s valuation. Dodô joined Fiorentina from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2022 and has made 163 appearances for the club, including two this season. His contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign, a factor that could influence the Italian side’s decision as the transfer deadline approaches.

Forest are pursuing Dodô as they look to add a wing-back capable of challenging Ola Aina, while Fiorentina must weigh an immediate fee against retaining a player who has been involved early in the season. Dodô started Monday’s 4-0 defeat by Roma, meaning any transfer would remove an experienced option from the squad while the club continue their own competitive campaign. The difference between the opening bid and Fiorentina’s asking price leaves room for further talks, but the report presents the move as a negotiation rather than an agreed deal.

Napoli reportedly opened formal negotiations with Chelsea over Marc Guiu on Thursday, submitting an initial offer of about €15 million plus performance-related bonuses. Vital Football reported that Chelsea valued the 20-year-old Spanish striker closer to €25 million, leaving the clubs some distance apart. Guiu was described as outside Xabi Alonso’s first-team plans at Stamford Bridge, making a late move to Serie A possible before the transfer deadline. The report said Sky Sport Italy and Transfer Feed had both confirmed the approach, although the proposed fee remained below Chelsea’s valuation.

A deal would give Napoli another young forward while allowing Guiu to seek a more prominent route into senior football. His Chelsea spell had produced eight Premier League appearances, totalling 259 minutes, with one assist and no goals, according to the report; a loan to Sunderland was also mentioned before he was recalled. Those figures help explain why Chelsea may be open to a sale, but the €10 million gap between the opening bid and their reported demand is significant. Napoli and Chelsea therefore still have negotiations to complete before the window shuts.