Football transfer rumours: Nicolò Zaniolo to Spurs, Juventus or Milan?

Having failed to make the breakthrough at Tottenham last season, Joe Rodon could be off to Italy. Fabio Paratici, Spurs’ director of football, is reported to have spent Thursday in Milan conducting talks with a number of clubs. Tottenham are interested in signing Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo and may offer Rodon as part of a swap deal. The Wales international has an admirer in Roma’s manager José Mourinho, who brought him to Spurs from Swansea City and is in the market for a centre-back.

While Zaniolo would rather stay in Italy, where Milan and Juventus are interested in acquiring his services, Tottenham are hopeful the prospect of being barked at from the touchline by his compatriot Antonio Conte might be enough to turn his head. Spurs are also hopeful of shipping Bryan Gil outto Sampdoria on loan after the Spain winger spent the second half of last season at Valencia. Marseille have also stated their interest in taking Gil on loan and are also sniffing around the Arsenal left-back Nuno Tavares.

Graeme Souness will have to leave Sky Sports for rivals BT Sport if he is to continue to be exasperated by Paul Pogba on a regular basis. The French midfielder’s much-touted return to Juventus on a free transfer after six years at Manchester United is a done deal, according to Fabrizio Romano, but won’t be completed until Pogba’s United contract expires at the end of this month and his new contract is signed at the beginning of July.

Meanwhile, Manchester United remain hopeful of signing Antony from Ajax amid speculation the player’s representatives are pestering the Dutch champions to allow the left-footed Brazilian winger to leave for Old Trafford or Chelsea. With three years remaining on his contract he is unlikely to come