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  • Inter Milan Must Pay the Premium Price for Flo Balogun.

    Inter Milan Must Pay the Premium Price for Flo Balogun.

    Inter Milan Emerges as Potential Suitor for Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun

    Following failed negotiations between Inter Milan and Chelsea for Romelu Lukaku, Inter Milan has reportedly turned their attention to Arsenal’s forward, Folarin Balogun. Balogun, who spent last season on loan at Stade de Reims in Ligue Un, caught the attention of Inter Milan as they seek to bolster their attacking options.

    During his loan spell, Balogun impressed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who had instructed him to develop not only as a player but also as a person. The experience of playing abroad has provided Balogun with valuable lessons in maturity and growth, on and off the pitch.

    Loan spells are often beneficial for young players, allowing them to showcase their talents in competitive environments and influencing the decisions of their parent clubs regarding their long-term futures. William Saliba, an Arsenal defender, is a prime example of the advantages of consistent loan experiences, as he developed into a vital component of the team’s defense after loan spells at various clubs.

    While Balogun’s loan spell at Middlesbrough in the Championship wasn’t personally successful, his time at Stade de Reims was a resounding triumph. Under the guidance of manager William Still, Balogun thrived, scoring 21 goals and helping the club secure an 11th-place finish in Ligue Un. His impressive performances earned him a call-up to the United States national team, where he found the net against Canada in the Nations League finals.

    Upon his return to Arsenal, Balogun has made it clear that he does not wish to go out on loan again. This leaves Arsenal with two options: either include him in their plans for the upcoming season or sell him to the highest bidder. The club has set a price tag of £50 million for Balogun, and talks are reportedly underway between his representatives and Inter Milan. Although no official offer has been made, Inter Milan is expected to bid around £34.3 million, which falls short of Arsenal’s valuation.

    Arsenal’s negotiation team, led by Edu Gaspar, has been successful in securing Arteta’s desired targets early in the transfer window. However, the club has spent over £200 million while only recouping £27 million from player sales. With Balogun valued at £50 million, Arsenal must do everything possible to ensure that Inter Milan meets their asking price, as they do not want a repeat of the situation they faced with West Ham over Declan Rice, ultimately leading to a hefty transfer fee.

    At just 22 years old, Balogun possesses immense potential and is considered a valuable asset. Arsenal must hold firm and secure the premium price Inter Milan is willing to pay for the talented forward.

  • Man City Wins Historic Champions League Title

    Man City Wins Historic Champions League Title

    Manchester City football cub of England have defeated Inter Milan 1-0 to win their first ever Champions League trophy at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium on Saturday, June 10.

    Despite having lifted six of the last ten Premier League titles, Pep Guardiola’s men have always struggled in Europe as they have never lifted the iconic trophy going as far as losing the final to Chelsea in 2022.

    Inter played well and held their own, keeping City largely quiet until Rodrigo Hernández scored the opener in the 68th minute by striking outside the area.

    Inter’s Dimarco almost replied three minutes later when he hit the crossbar with a header before his follow-up header was blocked by his teammate, Lukaku.

    Manchester City win their first UEFA Champions league Title after beating Inter Milan 1-0 to seal historic treble

    Man City brought in Kylie Walker to shore up the defence as they held Inter to win the UEFA champions league for the first time in their history..

  • Inter Milan’s Inzaghi shares strategy to neutralize Man City’s Haaland

    Inter Milan’s Inzaghi shares strategy to neutralize Man City’s Haaland

    Inter Milan manager, Simone Inzaghi has hinted how his team would stop Manchester City striker, Erling Haaland when both teams clash in the Champions League final on Saturday night.Man City are the heavy favourites going into Saturday night’s final in Istanbul, Turkey, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to complete a remarkable title following their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs.

    Inter are expected to put up great resistance, but Man City may prove to be too much, especially with Haaland up top.Haaland has scored 52 goals in as many appearances in his maiden season at the Etihad, including 12 in 10 Champions League games so far.

    But Inzaghi is now saying that Inter players will mark Haaland tightly during the encounter.

    “We all know what a great player he [Erling Haaland] is and how strong City are,” Inzaghi said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.“He will be marked tightly. However, we will keep a close eye on all the City players. We need to stop Haaland and also the other players.

    He added, “The midfield will be key tomorrow, but all areas will be important. We will need to run and we need hearts and minds too. We need to go to an extra yard tomorrow.”

  • Inter Milan end Juve’s dominance by winning first Scudetto since 2010

    Inter Milan end Juve’s dominance by winning first Scudetto since 2010

    Inter Milan claimed the 19th Scudetto in club history on Sunday as the 1-1 draw between Atalanta and Sassuolo gifted the Nerazzurri a first Serie A championship since 2010.

    It was also their first major title since winning the Coppa Italia in 2011.

    Inter Milan last claimed the Scudetto in the 2009/2010 season, when Jose Mourinho led the Italian giants to a historic treble.

    AC Milan then topped Serie A the following year, before Juventus established an era of dominance by winning nine consecutive titles.

    The Nerazzurri temporarily went 13 points clear on the table after a 2-0 victory over already-relegated Crotone on Saturday.

    Antonio Conte’s side were expected to end the title drought with four games remaining once Atalanta failed to beat Sassuolo.

    The 1-1 draw was then enough for Inter Milan to secure the championship.

    “We are, yes, we are. Champions of Italy. We can finally scream it, after dreaming of it, after keeping it hidden in the depths of our hearts, after holding on to it like a precious dream that we did not want to waste.

    “We wear this Scudetto. Beautiful, emphatic, deserved. Long-awaited and yearned for,” Inter Milan wrote on their website.

    And the newly-crowned champions also warned the fans to “celebrate responsibly”.

    While the Scudetto has been secured, the top-four race is still wide open as Juventus fight for a UEFA Champions League spot.

    The Bianconeri were 1-0 down just 10 minutes into the game as Nahuel Molina gave Udinese an early lead.

    But Juve started to push forward and it paid off in the last minutes.

    Cristiano Ronaldo ended his goal drought with a penalty kick and a header, helping the Old Lady finish the comeback.

    Atalanta, Juventus, and AC Milan rank second to fourth all with 69 points.

    Fifth-placed Napoli with 67 points also have Champions League aspirations after a 1-1 draw with Cagliari on Sunday.

    In Sunday’s other fixtures, Lazio edged Genoa 4-3, Sampdoria conquered Roma 2-0, and Bologna shared the spoils with Fiorentina 3-3.

  • UCL: Romelu Lukaku boosts Inter Milan hopes

    UCL: Romelu Lukaku boosts Inter Milan hopes

    Romelu Lukaku kept Inter Milan’s hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 alive, with qualification from a Group B that includes stuttering Real Madrid going to the final matchday.

    Lukaku struck twice in the second half to steer Inter to a 3-2 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday to set up a thrilling finale.

    Alassane Plea had cancelled out Matteo Darmian’s 17th-minute opener in first-half stoppage time but Lukaku fired home to restore Inter’s 2-1 lead in the 64th minute and then tapped in his second goal nine minutes later to make it 3-1.

    Plea cut the deficit in the 76th before but had an 84th-minute effort ruled out for offside by VAR, meaning Inter – on five points – could still progress with a win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

    Gladbach are top with eight points from five games, one ahead of Shakhtar and Real Madrid after the Ukrainians – who went second by virtue of their head-to-head record – beat the visiting Spaniards 2-0.

    Bruno Dentinho finished off a Shakhtar counter-attack in the 57th minute, pouncing as Raphael Varane dithered, and then Manor Solomon was allowed to drive from halfway before striking a late second (82) as the Ukrainians completed a stunning double over the European heavyweights.

    All four teams will battle to reach the last 16 on Wednesday December 9.

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  • Dybala stunner sends Juve top with behind-closed-doors’ win over Inter Milan

    Dybala stunner sends Juve top with behind-closed-doors’ win over Inter Milan

    A wonderful winning goal from substitute Paulo Dybala sent Juventus back to the top of Serie A with a 2-0 victory over title rivals Inter Milan on Sunday.

    Juve, who opened the scoring at an empty Allianz Stadium through Aaron Ramsey, lead on 63 points, one point ahead of Lazio and nine clear of Inter Milan in third.

    Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan side however have a game in hand.

    Ramsey fired home the first goal from close range soon after the break and was also involved in the second.

    Juventus’s Argentine forward Dybala exchanged passes with the Wales international on the edge of the area before dribbling around defender Ashley Young.

    He showed great invention to find the bottom corner with the outside of his boot.

    The game was played without fans present after the Italian government ordered that all matches are held behind closed doors until April 3.

    “This is an important victory, but there are still 12 games to go. So, it’s a long road ahead,” coach Maurizio Sarri said. “`This was far more what I wanted to see from my Juventus.

    “We had seemed a little empty and flat recently. So, we had to choose players who could guarantee more energy, both physical and psychological.

    “That’s the sensation we got in training from these players, but that could change in a couple of weeks.”

    Inter Milan goalkeeper Samir Handanovic returned from injury and they were grateful to have the Slovenian back as he blocked a Matthijs De Ligt header early.

    He also showed quick reactions to palm away a Blaise Matuidi drive inside the opening 15 minutes.

    The hosts had the better chances in a lively first half, but Marcelo Brozovic forced Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny into a sharp save with a powerful drive before the break.

    Juventus made the breakthrough 10 minutes into the second half when Matuidi’s cut-back was taken off the toe of Cristiano Ronaldo by Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni.

    The ball fell into the path of Ramsey who drilled a shot home via a deflection.

    Dybala was surprisingly dropped to the bench but made a huge impact after his introduction, controlling a long pass with his first touch before playing a one-two with Ramsey.

    He danced past Young and prodded in with a deft finish after 67 minutes.

    Ronaldo aimed to make his mark on his 1,000th official game as he chased a Serie A record of scoring in 12 straight games.

    He came close in stoppage time as his shot swerved narrowly wide before he dragged a low effort beyond the far post.

    The game marked Conte’s return to Turin after spells with Juventus as a player and coach.

    But it was not a happy one as his side fell to their second defeat of the season against the Italian champions.

    “The difference between us and Juventus, not counting the game in hand with Sampdoria, is six points,” Conte said. “That’s the two defeats, at San Siro and here.

    “We tried to stay in their slipstream, but must learn from defeat and take the lessons of comparison to grow in terms of character, quality and strength.

    “It’s a loss that must help us to grow and understand how far away we are.”(Reuters/NAN)