Rafa Benitez is reportedly eager to bring Arsenal’s Theo Walcottwith him to Napoli this summer.

The new coach is looking to the Premier League for reinforcements and has already been linked with a host of names.

According to Tuttosport, Rafa has set his sights on Walcott as the idea figure to complete his 4-2-3-1 system.

The 24-year-old England international’s remarkable pace would really stand out in Serie A and his wages are thought to be within Napoli’s parameters.

Benitez had already tried to sign Walcott for Liverpool several years ago, but this season he scored 14 goals in 32 Premier League games.

Napoli would have plenty of money to invest if Chelsea or Real Madrid meet the €63m asking price for Edinson Cavani.

“We require another right sided second striker,” said Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis this week.

“We are closing in on someone in this area, but I can’t say anything more in order to avoid the asking price going up.”

After reports of Chelsea offering €55m for Edinson Cavani, nowReal Madrid have reportedly offered Napoli cash plus Gonzalo Higuain.

The bidding war is heating up for the Uruguayan hitman, who Napoli have said they won’t sell for less than his €63m release clause.

This morning Sky Sport Italia and Tuttosport both claimed that Chelsea had raised their proposal to €55m, but it was rejected along with another offer worth €30m plus Fernando Torres.

According to Sport Mediaset and Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, Real Madrid reacted to the news by improving their own bid.

The offer on the table from the Merengues is now cash plus striker Higuain, who is in negotiations with both Juventus and Arsenal.

The proposal also includes the gate from a prestigious friendly between Napoli and Real Madrid, plus a series of performance-related bonuses.

According to Sky Sport Italia though, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and director general Beppe Marotta will fly to Spain on Sunday to discuss a move for Higuain.

Agnelli aims to have face-to-face negotiations with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez in a bid to put Juve in pole position for the striker.

Antonio Di Natale’s agent laughed off reports of an imminent move to Juventus.

The 35-year-old striker will be out of contract in June 2014 and there were rumours today in the Italian media that Juve were planning a swoop.

“There’s absolutely nothing true about this story of Di Natale going from Udinese to Juventus,” agent Bruno Carpeggiani told Tuttojuve.com.

“It must be a typical transfer session headline-grabber.”

Di Natale had already turned down an offer from Juventus last year because he wanted to see out his career in Udine.

He scored 23 Serie A goals in 33 games this term, plus three in six Europa League appearances.

Inter are not expected to take up their €5m option for Walter Gargano, sending him back to Napoli.

The midfielder arrived on loan last summer following a row with coach Walter Mazzarri, so the fact this tactician has now taken over at San Siro made his stay unlikely.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Inter have already informed Napoli that they will not be taking up their €5m option to make the move permanent.

The Nerazzurri aim to reinvest that money by bringing in a new midfield figure, with the hot favourite being Radja Nainggolan of Cagliari.

Uruguayan international Gargano managed 28 Serie A appearances this season.

There are two unusual transfer rumours around Napoli, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Morgan De Sanctis and Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet.

La Repubblica newspaper claims Ibrahimovic is sending signals he is ready to leave Paris Saint-Germain and would appreciate the opportunity to play for Napoli.

The Partenopei would be able to afford the former Milan, Inter and Juventus striker if they sold Edinson Cavani for €63m.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Napoli are in talks with Sunderland for an exchange of goalkeepers.

Paolo Di Canio’s club is interested in signing veteran De Sanctis in a swap with sought-after Mignolet.

De Sanctis retired from international duty this year on his 36th birthday and president Aurelio De Laurentiis noted on Twitter over the last few days that the goalkeeper is appreciated by new coach Rafa Benitez.

Udinese talent Luis Muriel has fuelled speculation of an Intermove, saying: “I’ve supported them since I was a kid.”

The 22-year-old scored 11 goals in 22 Serie A games this season and has been linked with Juventus, Napoli, Fiorentina and Inter.

“In Colombia when I was a kid all my friends supported either Juventus or Milan,” he told SportWeek.

“In order to stand out from the rest, I decided to cheer on Inter. I’ve supported them every since.”

Roma received positive news on the availability of coach candidatesMarcelo Bielsa, Gerardo Martino and Rudi Garcia.

The Giallorossi have said they’ll announce their new Coach by the middle of next week and he is “90 per cent likely to be foreign.”

Laurent Blanc has slipped rapidly down the wish-list after negotiations appeared to have reached a deal, while Roberto Mancini is also out of the running.

The three candidates now appear to be Bielsa, Newell’s Old Boys boss ‘Tata’ Martino and Lille tactician Garcia.

Bielsa is a free agent, as on Friday evening Athletic Bilbao confirmed they would not be renewing his contract.

“Tata Martino is our coach… until July,” Newell’s director of sport Gustavo Dezotti told Tuttomercatoweb.

“Martino would be perfect for Roma and I can see him doing very well in Italy. We’re talking about a great coach with an important future ahead of him.”

Lille also confirmed Garcia is technically available for talks with the Giallorossi.

“We have a very courteous rapport with Garcia and I am not putting any pressure on him to make a decision,” President Michel Seydoux told La Voix du Nord.

“Deadline? I don’t like that word, because it suggests setting an ultimatum and I am not at war with Rudi. Let’s just say I’d like to be informed of what’s happening next week.”

According to Yahoo

NANI will call David Moyes tomorrow before making an announcement on his future in the next couple of days.

The Manchester United winger is a £12million target for Monaco, Galatasaray and Napoli.
Talks over a new deal at United have stalled amid speculation linking him with a move away.
It is not yet clear whether he has a place in new boss Moyes’ plans.
And the Portuguese star, 26, said: “I have not yet decided where I am going or if I am going.
“I do not want to speak about rumours but I will decide my future in the next few days.”
Nani’s case for staying is not helped by the £15m signing of Wilfried Zaha from Crystal Palace and the return to fitness of Ashley Young.
The Portuguese slipped down United’s pecking order after Alex Ferguson regularly left him on the sidelines.
Nani has stated he wants a £6m-a-year salary if he is to leave Old Trafford.
But that will not worry Turkish giants Galatasaray or moneybags Monaco, who are bankrolled by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.
The 2004 Champions League finalists gazumped Manchester City, United and Chelsea to land Radamel Falcao for £51m.
Monaco have also splashed out £60m on Porto duo James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho.
Nani, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon for £14m in 2007, made just seven league starts last season.
Last night, Wayne Rooney was urged to quit United for Paris Saint-Germain by Brazil defender Thiago Silva.
England ace Roo, 27, is a £25m target for the French champs and Arsenal.
PSG star Silva, 28, said: “He’s a great player. I hope he can come to PSG.”

According to The Sun

The million euro question doing the rounds concerned just how much compensation Real Madrid was going to have to stump up to land Carlo Ancelotti, and it turns out the answer is €4 million.

According to ‘L’Équipe’, PSG wants at least this amount in order to write off the remaining year on the Italian’s contract.

Real Madrid’s aim is to seal an agreement for the Italian by this weekend at the latest, so that he can be unveiled at the Bernabéu next week. The way the ‘Los Blancos’ higher-ups see it, the sooner the better, because once he arrives Ancelotti still has to sit down with Zidane to determine any ins and outs and confirm the pre-season schedule. He will also have to appoint an assistant, considering Zidane’s desire to perform a more executive role, with Fabio Cannavaro and Hernán Crespo currently the frontrunners.

According to Marca

Manchester City have announced the signing of Shakhtar midfielder Fernandinho, with reports putting his price at £34 million.

Manchester City flexed their financial muscle in the transfer market and signalled their intent to reclaim the Premier League title by signing Brazil midfielder Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday.
City, who have yet to appoint a successor to sacked manager Roberto Mancini, did not give any financial details of the deal but British media have widely reported the transfer fee to be about £30 million.
The pacy 28-year-old Fernandinho had been on City’s radar for much of the season and is known in England for scoring in the Ukrainian club’s 2-1 victory at home to Chelsea in the Champions League group stages last season.
“This is a change, a challenge and a chance that I have been waiting a long time for. Playing in the Premier League for City is like a dream,” he told the club’s website.
“My ambition here is to win all the titles, the team here is strong, and so is the greatness of the club and the supporters.”
Fernandinho, who has five Brazil caps, had previously said he hoped a move to City would improve his chances of making the national squad for the 2014 World Cup on home soil.
He started his career with Atletico Paranaense in his homeland before becoming one of a host of talented Brazilians to head for Shakhtar with whom he has spent the last eight seasons and won the 2009 UEFA Cup.
Before his departure, Mancini had spoken of the need for the club to act faster than last season in the transfer market if they wanted to prise the Premier League crown back from arch-rivals Manchester United.
The Italian may have left but City, widely expected to name departing Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini as the new boss, seem to have heeded Mancini’s words as the signing comes days after Sevilla said their winger Jesus Navas was joining the club.
City gave up the Premier League title without much of a fight as United secured a 20th league trophy with four games to spare. City also lost the FA Cup final to Wigan Athletic, who were relegated from the top flight days later.
Mancini had laid some of the blame for their disappointing season on the failure to capture Netherlands striker Robin van Persie, who joined United in the close season and whose league-leading 26 goals drove their title charge.

According to Yahoo

Brazil striker Hulk has admitted there is some truth in reports linking him with a big-money move to Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho has reportedly made a £35million move for the Zenit St Petersburg star but the Russian club are said to want closer to the almost £50m they paid Porto in 2012.

Mourinho, who returned as Chelsea manager this week, is also thought to be close to a deal for Bayer Leverkusen forward Andre Schurrle.

However, Hulk could be another man on the Stamford Bridge club’s list of targets and the player has always appeared keen on a move to the Premier League.

Hulk is currently getting ready for the Confederations Cup with Brazil but, amid the speculation of Chelsea’s bid, he is quoted as saying by Globo Esporte: “If I said there was not anything in it, I would be lying.

“But that is not for now. I am 100 per cent focused on the national team at the moment.

“I came to wear this [Brazil] shirt with pride. My family and my friends are following me. I hope to win the Confederations Cup.”

Hulk started Brazil’s 2-2 friendly draw against England last Sunday but did not score and was booked before being substituted in the 72nd minute.

According to Foxsports

The Spaniard, who has signed a four-year deal at Goodison Park, will take over from Manchester United-bound David Moyes, having left relegated Wigan Athletic.

The 39-year-old said last week that he wanted to leave the Latics, having guided them to the FA Cup for the first time in their history.
He met Everton chairman Bill Kenwright twice for talks, before a £1.5 million compensation deal was agreed on Monday to buy out the remaining 12 months of his Wigan contract.
Martinez is expected to bring with him assistants Graeme Jones and Kevin Reeves, along with goalkeeping coach Inaki Bergara and conditioning coach Richard Evans in a new-look backroom team.
Kenwright had also considered Porto boss Vitor Pereira and Red Bull Salzburg sporting director Ralf Rangnick for the Everton job. But Martinez was his first choice, despite being unable to save Wigan from relegation to the Championship in May.
Martinez appeared alongside Everton chairman Bill Kenwright to face the press at Goodison Park, on what he said was a “special day” in his career,
“Everton is a phenomenal and passionate football club,” Martinez said. “I have this feeling already of excitement and honour, and I would like to thank the chairman for giving me the opportunity to come into this football club.”
The former Wigan manager admitted that he faced a daunting task in picking up where David Moyes left off, but is confident that he understands the ethos of the club.
“There’s huge pressure, but I’m extremely proud of that pressure because that means what David Moyes has done at Everton in the last 11 years has set a huge platform for the next manager,” Martinez continued.
“What he’s done is given Everton an identity and incredible standards. All I want to do is be humble enough and hard-working enough to take that to a new level. The fans need to know they are the most important part of this club, and I will need them.”
Martinez revealed his plans to sit down with the existing Everton personnel to discuss the future structure of the club with a view to bringing European football back to Goodison Park.
“We need to make sure we are a winning side and a strong side that can carry on achieving more,” Martinez added. “Finishing in the top-six was a magnificent achievement, and we need to keep building if we want to improve on that.”
Everton chairman Bill Kenwright revealed that he will give Martinez “a few quid to sign a few players” over the summer.
“He understands the game and Everton,” Kenwright added. “He told us about our history and what he wanted to do. It was a terrific meeting. All I can tell you is, when you know, you know.”
Speaking to Sky Sports News earlier on Wednesday, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan said: “Roberto is a fantastic manager with a lot of character.
“He’s going to a great club with great fans and I wish him the very best of luck. I’m delighted he’s gone to Everton.”

According to ESPN