Lippi: More Difficult for Inter This Time

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The Nerazzurri have been the dominant force in Italian football since the Calciopoli crisis, winning two consecutive Scudetti on the field, as well as being handed the 2006 title by the courts.

This year Inter will also start off the season as favourites with the bookmakers, however there is certain to be more competition, with Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina all strengthening over the summer, and Roma expected to do so too soon.

Lippi, who recently returned to take over as boss of the Italy national team, believes that all five of these teams have a chance of winning the championship.

"There is no favourite,” the Viareggio-born tactician told Il Giorno.

“They all begin the season with equal chances. All I can say is that this time it will be more difficult for Inter.

“Milan have the advantage of not playing in the Champions League. Juve have added Amauri and Poulsen, and have magnificent champions and some extraordinary young talent.

“Fiorentina have had a transfer campaign to applaud. Prandelli and Corvino deserve congratulations. This Fiorentina can go anywhere.”

Lippi won five Scudetti during his two spells on the bench of Juventus between 1994 and 1999, and 2001 and 2004.

Anthony Sormani

Milan Make Shock Bid For Panucci

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The Rossoneri have been one of the biggest movers in the transfer market this summer, signing the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Marco Borriello, Mathieu Flamini, and of course Ronaldinho.

Following the arrival of the Brazilian, Vice President Adriano Galliani announced that the Rossoneri would be signing no new players, and the only transfer work that remained would be to offload two or three players.

However, Il Messaggero claims that Milan have tabled a shock transfer bid for Roma veteran Christian Panucci, offering the 35-year-old a two-year contract.

Galliani met with Roma directors Bruno Conti and Daniele Prade over the weekend to discuss Panucci, and the Italy international is now considering returning to San Siro.

Panucci had a successful spell with Milan from 1993 to 1996, winning a host of honours, including two Scudetti, a European Cup, and a UEFA Supercup.

He is best remembered for a brilliant display in the legendary 4-0 thrashing of Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona in the 1994 European Cup final in Athens, a performance that some cynics say Panucci has been living off ever since.

Milan are in need of some cover at the back, particularly in the centre back position, and Panucci proved at Euro 2008 that he still has a lot to offer the game.

Roberto Rossi

Aquilani Open To Juve Move

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It is looking increasingly possible that Aquilani will leave the Giallorossi this summer as talks to renew his current contract, which runs out in 2010, have seemingly hit a brick wall.

The 24 year-old Italy international, has been asking for around €2.5m in wages per year, but the highest Roma have been able to offer is €1.6m.

Juventus are long-term admirers of Aquilani, and have already seen a number of bids for the player rejected by Roma earlier this summer.

The Old Lady declared last week that, following the signing of Sevilla’s Christian Poulsen, they would be purchasing no more players this summer.

However, the news of Aquilani’s contract problems has led them to rethink this initiative, and it was reported at the weekend that Juve were set to launch a fresh offer for the schemer.

Aquilani has now welcomed this news by stating: "I like that Juventus are interested in me. We'll wait and see what happens."

Inter are also interested in Aquilani, but the Italian press believes that Juve will beat off competition from the Nerazzurri, partly due to the fact that the youngster has a great friendship with Bianconeri stopper Giorgio Chiellini.

Gianni Wilson

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Andreolli, who is currently co-owned by the Giallorossi and Inter, following the Christian Chivu deal, will probably leave Rome this summer to join another Serie A team on loan.

This was confirmed by his agent, Patrick Bastianelli, who spoke about his client's most likely future.

"From Monday Andreolli will regularly start the pre-season training camp," explained his agent to Romanews.eu. "This was decided by the player and the club.

"After that, we shall evaluate the best solution with the Giallorossi. After the first friendly games, we shall analyse the situation. The objective is to find him a place in Serie A.

"There have been contacts with other clubs. Now everyone wants to see Marco in the first games that he will play with Roma. Then we shall take care of the future, by finding a Serie A squad for him."

However, Bastianelli was tight lipped on which team Andreolli could be joining in the coming weeks.

Glenn Debattista

Roma Would Be The Maximum - Di Michele

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One of Roma's problems in past seasons as they challenged Inter for the Scudetto was the lack of a strong center forward. Ahead of the new season, in fact, it's a striker the Giallorossi are looking for to bolster their squad.

There was allegedly an interest for Real Madrid's Julio Baptista, but the player's agent denied that there has been any contact.

Another striker who has been frequently linked with a move to Roma over the years is David Di Michele, currently at Torino. The former Reggina, Udinese and Palermo player gave an interview to Rome newspaper 'Il Romanista' in which he admitted he was flattered by the possibility of an interest from Roma.

"I've read a lot of stories on the papers," he said. "Let's hope these rumours will become more concrete in the near future. But I must admit Roma would be the maximum for me."

Before last season with Torino, the striker had regularly managed to score more than 10 goals in the top flight, although he is known as a bit of a hot-head. He has also made six appearences with the national team under Marcello Lippi.

Danilo Pochini

Roma Have Made No Baptista Contact – Agent

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Baptista is certain to leave Real Madrid this summer as he is not in coach Bernd Schuster’s first team plans. Over the past week or so, there have been almost constant reports over a proposed transfer of the 26-year-old to Roma, and the Italian and Spanish press have claimed that a deal will almost certainly go through very soon.

However, Baptista’s agent, Herminio Menendez, has now sensationally claimed that, despite all these reports, Roma have made no contact with anyone about buying ‘The Beast’.

"Roma have not spoken with me and I must say that there is a lot of confusion in this situation,” Herminio Menendez told Laromasiamonoi.it.

“If Roma do not meet with Real Madrid or with me, it is impossible to start negotiations. Throughout the week there has been talk about Baptista going to Roma.

“Currently, Julio is a Real Madrid player but, I repeat, no one has spoken with me or with Real.

“In Italy it is said that the two parties are very close. Even the [Spanish] daily Marca said that everything is done.

“However, this is not true. No one, not even Roma sporting director [Daniele] Prade, has spoken with me. Frankly I do not understand the situation."

Baptista joined Madrid in 2005 from Sevilla, although he did spend the 2006/07 season on loan at English giants Arsenal.

Alessio Alexis

Roma Make Drenthe Enquiry

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The Giallorossi are keen to bolster their squad with two more acquisitions in the next few days and have been linked with a host of players.

But negotiations for Baptista are ongoing and Marca state that Drenthe's name has come up because Los Merengues indicated that they could be willing to sell.

Only a year after prising the 21-year-old from Feyenoord, Bernd Schuster is believed that have hoped he would progress quicker than he has done and could cash in.

Drenthe is due to travel the Olympic Games with the Holland squad at the end of the month and has made it clear that he has no desire to leave the club next season.

One option could be a loan move that would see Drenthe able to gain valuable first team experience, which he is set to miss out on again next term at Madrid.

According to Marca, Juventus and Fiorentina have also made enquiries in the past, although la Vecchia Signora's interest has now ended after they declared their squad to be complete.

Last summer, Drenthe agreed to join Madrid for €14m and looked set to be loaned straight back to the Dutch club, but that failed to materialise and he had to settle for a bit-part role at the Bernabéu.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Roma In Talks To Sign Malouda

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Malouda only signed for Chelsea last summer from Lyon for a hefty €20m, however he was a huge disappointment in his first season at Stamford Bridge.

The latest speculation suggests that the French international doesn’t feature in new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, and thus will be allowed to leave.

Roma have had a disappointing summer transfer campaign so far, buying no big names, and this sparked captain Franecsco Totti to publicly declare that the club need to sign at least two top-class stars.

One of these is likely to be an attacking wideman as there is void that needs filling following the departure of Amantino Mancini to Inter.

The Corriere claims that Roma are hoping to replace the Brazilian by capturing Malouda on an initial loan deal, with the option to then sign him permanently.

Talks between the clubs are already said to be in progress, and the Frenchman would potentially join Real Madrid’s Julio Baptista in Rome, with ‘The Beast’ edging closer to a €15m transfer.

So far this summer, Roma have snapped up Liverpool full-back John-Arne Riise and Siena's Simone Loria, but far more exotic names will surely be needed if the club are to challenge for serious honours this season.

Alessio Alexis

We Need Baptista And One More, Insists Totti

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The Giallorossi finished second last season, won the Copa Italia and again succumbed to Manchester United in the Champions League quarterfinals.

With Juventus back out of Serie B and looking to launch an assault on Serie A and the Champions League and Milan particularly eager to reassert some form of domestic dominance, the capital club's strengths will truly be put to the test, following two seasons in which they were Internazionale's only contenders to the title almost by default.

They have so far bought Liverpool full-back John-Arne Riise and Siena's Simone Loria, but captain Totti, who is still recovering from injury, expects more. “John Arne Riise and Simone Loria are two excellent reinforcements, but now I expect another two signings of great quality,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“If we want to compete with Inter, Milan and Juventus, we need at least two more important players. At the moment, we are the fourth strongest side in Serie A."

Er Pupone aired a grievance with Amantino Mancini, who left the club to join rivals Inter: “Inter are trying to strengthen their side by weakening ours. They have the capabilities to cherry-pick from other clubs, while it is more difficult for us.”

Returning attention to his own club and their pursuit of Real Madrid's powerful attacking midfielder, Julio 'The Beast' Baptista, he said: “I like Baptista and hope he does come to Roma, but we need another reinforcement after that.”

“We will try to repeat our past success and aim for something more important than the Coppa Italia.

“The fact the Champions League dinal will be played in Rome is an event that for my generation won’t return again. It is our objective, even more so than the Scudetto."

Recalling their previous and only Champions League final in 1984, which they lost on penalties to Liverpool, he said: “I was eight years old. I watched it on television with my whole family. I remember Roberto Pruzzo’s goal and the silence during the penalties. Rome was mute.”

Santino Santoro, Goal.com

Santana Tempted By Roma

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The Giallorossi are looking for a replacement for Amantino Mancini, who left for Internazionale last week.

Santana's agent has conceded that, despite the Viola making the Champions League for this coming season, his client is likely to leave if the right offer comes in.

“It is difficult to turn down Roma,” Marco Piccoli, the player's agent, told romanews.eu. “It depends on Fiorentina as well.

“They consider Santana to be a firm fixture, but faced with an important offer, any player can go on the market.

“Roma like Santana, but for the moment there hasn’t been a formal offer. He belongs to Fiorentina and is happy here.

“There has been talk during this transfer period, but without a concrete proposal as yet.”

Santino Santoro, Goal.com