Lifestyle/Culture

The curtain has come down on club football for the season and the World Cup is just around the corner. But football never ends. Not really. Now, we get to start speculating about transfers.

Serie A has always attracted envious glances. Clubs in Italy have players of the highest calibre and, with certain teams not able to measure up financially to their Spanish and English counterparts, selling these assets is an essential part of balancing the books.

So which potential Serie A transfers should you be following closely this summer?

Alisson (AS Roma)

Well, it happened. Real Madrid secured a 13th Champions League title with the help of Gareth Bale’s insane skill, Benzema’s meh goal and Sergio Ramos’ ethically questionable defending.

Supporters of Celtic hardly needed another reason to love James McClean.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder, and Derry native, has made no secret of his lifelong love for the Hoops and his desire to one day play for Brendan Rodgers at the club of his boyhood heroes. 

With Serie A coming to a close this past weekend, the name on everyone’s lips was that of Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon played his last match for Juve on Saturday and is set join a new club this offseason. The latest speculation has him linked with a switch to Paris Saint-Germain, although it was not too long ago that another Italian keeper named Gianluigi was being linked with a move to Paris.

D.C. United is desperate. Ben Olsen’s club is in dreadful need of a striker and the owners want a big-name star to draw the masses to Audi Field when it opens in July. And that is exactly why a newly reported Wayne Rooney D.C. United transfer rumor is so gosh darn juicy. 

According to ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle, the Chicago Fire are currently in Madrid to hold talks with Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres, who’ll be out of a contract following the completion of the LaLiga season (which ends on May 20).

Aside from the more technical aspects of U.S. youth soccer development, there’s a very real and very obvious significance in having players worthy of serving as inspirations to young Americans in MLS. While Lionel Messi and Neymar will always be accessible via YouTube highlights, there’s something much more tangible and effective with regards to seeing an otherworldly talent live. 

On the eve of a Manchester Derby that could decide the Premier League title, Pep Guardiola has revealed some pretty destabilizing claims concerning Paul Pogba’s past, present and future at Manchester United. According to Guardiola, Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, offered his client to the Citizens over the January transfer window.