Massimiliano Allegri believes Paul Pogba may be ready to make his long-awaited second Juventus debut in three weeks' time as he builds up his fitness levels.

The France international has yet to feature for the Bianconeri since rejoining the club from Manchester United at the start of the season due to a succession of injury setbacks.

Pogba underwent surgery after sustaining a knee injury during pre-season, forcing him to miss the entire campaign to date as well as the World Cup in Qatar.

Despite returning to the bench for the Serie A defeat by Monza at the end of January, Allegri revealed the midfielder is enduring yet another spell on the sidelines to increase his match fitness.

Speaking ahead of Juve's clash with Fiorentina on Sunday, the head coach said: "Pogba cannot be called up. At the moment, he is in the pits. 

"It's not a new injury he's picked up, but a case of finding his feet and fitness again. He's working hard to get to the point where he's ready to play.

"He is working to be available again. At this moment, I cannot tell you when he will return. Maybe in 20 days, I don't know.

"A normal path, coming from [this sort of injury], is very boring because, until the knee settles, it bothers every now and then. He is working, and he is putting all the effort possible. But at the moment, he is not available."

Meanwhile, Allegri revealed Adrien Rabiot will feature against Fiorentina, but the clash at Allianz Stadium comes too soon for Leonardo Bonucci, who will be available for Thursday's Europa League showdown with Nantes.

The Bianconeri head into the match only two points ahead of Fiorentina due to a 15-point deduction following an investigation into past transfer dealings.

That means they have a mammoth 14 to make up on the top four to qualify for the Champions League through their league position, but the head coach is pleased with the mood within the camp. 

"We need to improve the plays on the verticals, on the diagonals, we have these plays in our feet," Allegri added. "In this, the team is doing well, but we are far from what we can do.

"There is a good harmony knowing that to make results you have to struggle and respect the opponent a lot."

Dusan Vlahovic should remain at Juventus even if the Bianconeri fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to Lecce director Pantaleo Corvino.

Injuries have limited Vlahovic to just 12 appearances in Serie A this season, yet he is Juve's top scorer with eight goals.

The Serbia striker scored two and assisted another in the midweek win at Salernitana and will hope to add more in Sunday's match against former club Fiorentina.

But Juventus head into that match only two points ahead of La Viola due to a 15-point deduction following an investigation into past transfer dealings.

The Bianconeri have a mammoth 14 points to make up on the top four if they are going to qualify for the Champions League through their league position, and Vlahovic has been linked with a move away.

However, former Fiorentina director Corvino, who helped bring the striker to Italy in 2018, has urged Vlahovic to stay in Turin.

"Are you kidding me? Dusan is not up for discussion," Corvino told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

"For Vlahovic, in addition to his big numbers, his talent speaks for itself. He's a complete centre forward, he has physique, a sense for goal, good technique, progression and aerial skills.

"And then, he is still young. I advise him to stay in Turin, even without the Champions League. Juve are always Juve, a point of arrival. And after a storm, the calm always arrives."

Life is good at Manchester United right now – and it might be about to get better.

Erik ten Hag has guided United to third in the Premier League, perhaps still in title contention, while they will face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final.

Rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are facing various crises, and United's ambitions moving forward could be boosted by a lucrative takeover.

After making only loan signings in January as the Glazer family consider selling up, the outlook at Old Trafford might be about to change entirely.

TOP STORY – QATARI-BACKED MAN UTD BID DUE IN DAYS

According to the Daily Mail, a group of Qatari investors plan to buy United and give manager Ten Hag "the financial backing to lead the club back to the top".

The Glazers set a deadline of mid-February for bids, and an offer from the group is expected in the coming days.

The report says the group are confident their bid would "blow the competition out of the water".

This interest in United follows on the back of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the investors eager to secure ownership of "the crown jewels" of the footballing world.

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph is reporting Manchester City's pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham is at risk of being torpedoed by their potential financial breaches.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have offered 34-year-old Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets a contract worth €18million per season.

– Manchester United and Liverpool will both make a run at Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo Muani, who impressed for France at the World Cup, per L'Equipe.

– Calciomercato is reporting Juventus will likely allow striker Dusan Vlahovic to leave at the end of the season if they receive a bid in the range of €90m.

– According to the Northern Echo, Newcastle United have made 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison a key target.

Massimiliano Allegri hailed Juventus' mental fortitude after responding to a troublesome period following their points deduction with victory at Salernitana.

Juve had not won in three Serie A games, including a 5-1 thrashing by Napoli and a surprise 2-0 defeat to Monza, while the club had also been docked 15 points following an investigation into past transfer dealings.

But Allegri's side bounced back on Tuesday with a dominant 3-0 victory at Salernitana as Dusan Vlahovic scored twice and assisted Serbia team-mate Filip Kostic for the other.

Victory moved Juve up to 10th, albeit some 13 points off fourth-placed Lazio, and Allegri heaped praise on his side's resilience amid a difficult time in Turin.

The Juve head coach told reporters: "The lads are responsible, we can tell each other many things, but I think it wasn't and isn't easy to keep your head in the championship after 15 points were taken away from you.

"We set ourselves some goals, which is to catch those in front of us. Then there's the Coppa Italia [semi-final] with Inter and the Europa League.

"It was important to win. We have 26 points, no one remembers that we scored 41 and we would be third in the standings. Look at the current standings."

Vlahovic took his tally to eight for the season with his first-half penalty and cool finish after the interval, with Allegri delighted to see his star striker returning to form, along with some vital minutes for Angel Di Maria.

"If Di Maria always plays 60 minutes, I'm happy, he's a champion. Vlahovic is coming back well, meanwhile [Moise] Kean has had important chances," Allegri added.

"We need all these players, it's normal that we need to improve in possession. We play every three days, so everyone is important."

Juventus returned to winning ways in Serie A after Dusan Vlahovic scored two and assisted the other in a comfortable 3-0 victory at Salernitana on Tuesday.

Massimiliano Allegri's side, seemingly shaken by their 15-point deduction, had not won any of their previous three league games but responded with a dominant performance at Stadio Arechi.

Vlahovic's 28th-minute penalty set the visiting Bianconeri on their way before the Serbia international fortuitously assisted compatriot Filip Kostic on the stroke of half-time.

Star man Vlahovic added his second after 47 minutes as victory moved a resurgent Juve up to 10th, albeit some 13 points behind fourth-placed Lazio.

Vlahovic headed an inviting Mattia De Sciglio cross over in an otherwise uneventful opening, but the striker made amends just before the half-hour mark.

A needless foul inside the area from Juve loanee Hans Nicolussi on Fabio Miretti offered the visitors the chance of the breakthrough, and Vlahovic powered in from the penalty spot with the help of Guillermo Ochoa's left post.

Vlahovic then wastefully dragged wide and made a similar connection with a poor right-footed volley, only for the latter miscued attempt to find Kostic, who poked in the second goal at the back post.

A delicate Nicolo Fagioli throughball teed up Vlahovic to add to his tally after the interval, the striker slotting a cool left-footed finish low past the onrushing Ochoa.

Angel Di Maria's fizzing strike cannoned against the crossbar and Moise Kean was denied by Ochoa's left post as Juve returned to form in emphatic fashion.

What does it mean? Juve back on track after Allegri warning

A 5-1 thrashing by runaways leaders Napoli and a 2-0 surprise defeat to Monza in Juve's last three league games, either side of a 3-3 draw with Atalanta, had caused Allegri some concern.

With Juve docked 15 points following an investigation into past transfer dealings, Allegri warned the Bianconeri they must first hit the 40-point mark to stave off an unlikely relegation.

Juve took a step towards doing that with an assured performance to move onto 26 points, though they have significant ground to make up for a place in Europe, trailing Italy's top six by 12.

Vlahovic's Salernitana hot streak continues

Vlahovic has now scored five goals in four league matches against Salernitana, with a brace for Fiorentina and three strikes for new club Juve, including his double in this game.

The first-half strike was Vlahovic's 14th goal from the spot from 15 attempts in Serie A – the best success rate (93 per cent) among players to take 15 or more penalties in the competition since his debut in 2018.

Concern for Miretti

Promising young midfielder Miretti won the penalty for Vlahovic's opener before leaving the field on a stretcher after 40 minutes with what appeared a concerning lower-leg injury.

The 19-year-old, who has enjoyed his breakthrough season for Juve this term, suffered the injury in a tackle with Boulaye Dia, and Allegri will be hoping the blow was not as bad as it first appeared.

What's next?

Juve are at home to Fiorentina on Sunday, while Salernitana visit Hellas Verona the following day.

Massimiliano Allegri says Juventus' primary aim is to reach 40 points and ensure their place in Serie A for next season, with their 15-point deduction appearing to dash any top-four hopes.

Juventus were considered one of the sides capable of challenging leaders Napoli before an investigation into their historic transfer dealings led to their sanction being handed down last month.

Having picked up just one point from their last three league games, Juventus now sit 13th in the table, 10 points clear of the bottom three but 15 adrift of fourth-placed Lazio. 

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's trip to 16th-placed Salernitana, who would leapfrog the Bianconeri with a win, Allegri was cautious when asked about his hopes for the remainder of the campaign. 

"Right now the fact is that they have taken away 15 points and we must think about reaching 40 to save ourselves," Allegri said.

"It's laughable, but we have to think about this goal first and proceed step by step. Setting ourselves goals now is unthinkable. 

"Now we have to reach the teams in front of us and climb slowly. Tomorrow we have to win, because in the last three league games we have only scored one point."

Juve will again be without Paul Pogba in Salerno after a minor injury delayed his second Bianconeri debut, while Leonardo Bonucci is also sidelined after suffering from a bout of flu.

"Everyone is available apart from Bonucci who has had the flu for three days, Pogba as before, and [Leandro] Paredes has a foot injury and won't be there," he said. "All the others are present."

Juve will likely need striker Dusan Vlahovic to return to top form if they are to climb the table, as he continues to chase his first goal of 2023.

Vlahovic has failed to score in his two appearances since returning from the World Cup with a groin injury, with his last club goal coming at the home of neighbours Torino in mid-October.

The Serbia international has thus scored each of his last eight Serie A goals in Turin (seven at the Allianz stadium and one at the Olimpico Grande Torino), last netting outside the city in a win at Cagliari last April.

Asked whether the striker will start Tuesday's game, Allegri said: "I haven't decided yet, but I'll make the assessments. Physically he's fine, he's much lighter and more dynamic than when he arrived.

"Let's hope he scores tomorrow. Vlahovic has never been as good physically as he is now, not even when he arrived from Fiorentina." 

Gleison Bremer said his Juventus team-mates have pledged to ignore the Bianconeri's off-pitch woes after scoring the winner in Thursday's Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio.

Bremer diverted Filip Kostic's cross home with a glancing header on the stroke of half-time as Juve clinched a 1-0 win over the Biancocelesti, teeing up a semi-final tie against Inter.

The win provided welcome relief for a side sitting 13th in Serie A after being issued with a 15-point deduction last month, a sanction which has been compounded by a three-game winless run in the league. 

Speaking after his goal sent Juve to their eighth Coppa Italia semi-final in nine seasons, Bremer admitted off-pitch issues had impacted the team in recent weeks, but revealed the squad's pledge to rediscover their focus.

"I'm happy with this goal, but it was important to go through at this moment," the Brazil international told Mediaset.

"We know we've played two games not up to par, but we talked to each other and what happens off the pitch cannot spill onto the pitch. The club will take care of it, we will take care of the pitch. 

"Juventus are a top-level team, let's score as many points as possible and see where we'll be at end of the championship. 

"At the beginning of the year we lost a little something, then we spoke and we found each other."

Since the Coppa Italia quarter-finals became one-legged affairs in the 2008-09 season, Juve have won nine of their 10 such fixtures at home, the only exception being a 2011 defeat to Roma.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri hailed Juve's mentality after the hard-fought victory, highlighting the improvements made since Sunday's shock defeat to Monza. 

"The most important thing is the attitude, which was missing in the first half against Monza, where we conceded two easy goals," Allegri said.

"The boys were good. They are responsible. They must understand that to win matches, in addition to tactics and technique, you need the right spirit. 

"Today we won many tackles, we arrived first in duels, we defended well and played in an orderly and patient manner against good pressure from Lazio."

Juventus were without Paul Pogba for Thursday's win, with the midfielder seeing his second debut for the club delayed once more after suffering another minor injury.

Allegri does not expect him to return against Salernitana on Tuesday, saying: "Pogba is unlikely to be available in Salerno, because he's been doing little or nothing for a week. We hope to have him back as soon as possible because he's a player we count on. 

"I've been in the world of football for 50 years. When things go against you, then you have to be patient to get out of it."

Juventus cast aside their recent woes to tee up an enticing Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter on Thursday as Gleison Bremer's first-half header guided them to a 1-0 win against Lazio.

The Coppa Italia appears to represent Juve's best chance of silverware this season after a 15-point deduction ended their slim Serie A title hopes, and the hosts were good value for their win after dominating for long periods.

Massimiliano Allegri's men missed two good chances before hitting the front on the stroke of half-time, with Bremer flicking Filip Kostic's inch-perfect delivery home.

Juve were rarely troubled at the other end as Maurizio Sarri's visitors disappointed in the final third, and they will face their Derby d'Italia rivals across two legs in the last four after this routine win.

Kostic drew a fingertip save from Luis Maximiano as Juve got on top after a tight opening to the contest, before Adrien Rabiot headed straight at the goalkeeper when left unmarked just before the half-hour mark.

The Bianconeri made their pressure count one minute before the break as Bremer met Kostic's inswinging cross with a glancing header, which beat Maximiano to nestle in the bottom-left corner.

Luis Alberto saw a long-range strike deflect narrowly over as Lazio improved following the half-time introduction of Pedro, while Danilo Cataldi worked Mattia Perin with a 25-yard free-kick.

Juve substitute Moise Kean forced Maximiano into action at his near post following a rapid break with 20 minutes remaining, as the hosts looked to put the game to bed.

Adam Marusic fizzed a long-range effort wide of the bottom-right corner as Lazio continued to hunt a leveller, but that was as close as they came to breaking down a resolute Juve backline.

Paul Pogba will be made to wait for his second Juventus debut after being ruled out of Thursday's Coppa Italia quarter-final against Lazio with another injury problem.

The France international has yet to feature for Juve since rejoining the club from Manchester United at the start of the season due to a succession of setbacks.

He sustained a knee injury in pre-season that later required surgery, forcing him to miss the entire season to date and France's World Cup campaign.

Pogba was back on the substitutes' bench for last week's Serie A meeting with Monza, but he was not brought on by Allegri as Juve suffered a shock 2-0 loss at Allianz Stadium.

Allegri confirmed at Wednesday's pre-match press conference that the 29-year-old is now nursing another minor issue that will rule him out of the visit of Lazio.

"I haven't decided anything tomorrow in terms of the squad, apart from [Leonardo] Bonucci, who is still out, and Pogba due to flexor soreness," Allegri said.

"Unfortunately, when you've been out for so many months and raise the intensity level, pain comes and more time is needed."

Pogba, who signed a four-year deal with Juventus, has not played a competitive game since former club United's 4-0 Premier League loss to Liverpool last April.

"It takes time. Nobody can work miracles," Allegri said. "His body must adapt. We must use him wisely and in the right moment when he is ready."

In better news for Juve, Allegri confirmed Dusan Vlahovic will start his first game since October after returning as a substitute last week.

"Vlahovic will start, but I have to decide on the others," he said. "The game could last 120 minutes, so subs will be important. I'll decide the line-up after tomorrow's training."

Juventus were docked 15 points last month following an investigation into the club's past transfer dealings and are now 15 points off the top four after last week's loss to Monza.

The Bianconeri turn focus to the Coppa Italia next – a competition they last won in the 2020-21 season – and Allegri is hoping to put the club's points deduction to one side.

"The points deduction should not be an excuse for bad results," he said. "We must go on the pitch and do what's required. 

"It may be the first time a team has been docked 15 points, but we must handle this situation in the best way. We'll do our best in the Coppa Italia."

Juventus have criticised a written explanation for their Serie A points deduction and reiterated their intention to appeal the decision.

The Bianconeri were seen as title contenders prior to the punishment being handed down earlier this month, with a 15-point deduction instead leaving Massimiliano Allegri's men mired in mid-table.

That sanction came following an investigation into Juve's past transfer dealings.

The FIGC Court of Appeals published a 36-page document on Monday, which explained the severity of the punishment related to the "repeated and prolonged nature" of Juve's alleged offences.

But a response followed from the club, who had already confirmed they would be appealing.

"Juventus Football Club and its legal team have carefully read and will analyse in depth the justifications, recently published, pertaining to the decision of the United Sections of the Federal Court of Appeal," a statement read.

"It is a document, predictable in terms of content, in light of the heavy decision, but vitiated by obvious illogicalities, motivational deficiencies and unfounded in terms of law, which the company and individuals will oppose with an appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI within the set deadlines.

"The validity of Juventus' reasons will be asserted firmly, albeit with the respect due to the institutions that issued it."

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie has joined Leeds United on an initial loan deal.

The versatile United States international signed for Juve in 2020, again making a temporary move from Schalke prior to the switch becoming permanent.

McKennie played 70 Serie A matches for the Bianconeri, including 15 this season, but the embattled giants had appeared open to letting him depart even before Paul Pogba returned to fitness, appearing on the bench on Sunday.

That stunning 2-0 home defeat to Monza played out without McKennie, who was expected to join Leeds.

The Elland Road club are coached by fellow American Jesse Marsch and feature McKennie's international team-mates Tyler Adams – the USMNT captain – and Brenden Aaronson.

McKennie's transfer was completed on Monday, with the loan agreement including "a view to a permanent deal at the end of the season".

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored many famous goals.

Undoubtedly, though, one of his most celebrated strikes came 15 years ago, on January 30, 2008.

On a winter evening at Old Trafford, Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth rocked up in fine form on the road, having won seven of their 12 away games in the Premier League.

Yet Ronaldo, in the midst of a 31-goal season in the top tier, was the difference. 

Having put Manchester United ahead in the 10th minute, Ronaldo stepped up, just under 30 yards out from goal, three minutes later.

His free-kick, taken in what would become his trademark style, went up, over the wall and swerved remarkably into the right-hand corner. David James, the Portsmouth goalkeeper, had no chance.

That goal is often thought of as the typical Ronaldo free-kick. Power, panache and pinpoint accuracy.

But is Ronaldo actually as good as a free-kick taker as that goal might suggest? Using Opta data, Stats Perform has taken a look.

Quantity, not quality?

Since that goal against Portsmouth up until the day his second spell at United ended (November 23, 2022), Ronaldo had more shots from direct free-kicks than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.

Of the 645 shots Ronaldo had, 41 resulted in a goal. That is from 700 club games, across stints at United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

On the face of it, that goal tally does not stand out as particularly impressive, at least given the fact that Ronaldo netted 619 times in total.

Yet he is behind only Lionel Messi (who else?) when it comes to goals from direct free-kicks, with the Barcelona great scoring on 51 occasions from such situations.

That gives Messi an 8.1 per cent conversion rate from free-kicks in that timeframe, in contrast to Ronaldo's 6.3 per cent.

Naturally, given their status in the game, Ronaldo and Messi will almost always pull rank when it comes to set-pieces, especially at a free-kick in a dangerous position.

Miralem Pjanic, who ranks third for direct free-kick goals and was a club-mate of both players at Barca and Juve respectively, boasts better conversion rate than either (nine per cent).

Neymar's 13 goals from 147 attempts gives him an 8.8 per cent success rate, while James Ward-Prowse's 12 per cent (15 from 125, though this figure of course does not account for his strike against Everton earlier in January) is close to double what Ronaldo managed.

Indeed, when ranked against players from Europe's big five leagues that scored 10 or more direct free-kicks between January 31, 2008 and November 23, 2022, only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dani Parejo had lower conversion rates than Ronaldo.

Club by club

So, having established that Ronaldo's free-kick finishing was somewhat erratic following that stunner against Portsmouth, let's check on how he stacked up at each club.

Across his career in Europe's top five leagues, Ronaldo netted 48 free-kicks in all competitions, from 782 shots (6.1 per cent).

Thirteen of those goals came at United, with five each in his final two seasons of his first spell at the club.

Indeed, Ronaldo's peak when it came to free-kicks was definitely between the 2007-08 season and the 2013-14 campaign, when he scored 35 times from that type of dead-ball situation.

His best single season tally was six, in the 2009-10 season – his first at Madrid.

From 2014-15 onwards he did not manage more than three free-kick goals during a season, while he scored only twice from 86 such attempts while at Juve, and managed no goals from four free-kicks in his second stint at United.

One of the greats?

As well as his effort against Portsmouth, Ronaldo has many other memorable free-kicks in the bank.

His stunning, 40-yard strike against Arsenal in the 2009 Champions League semi-final; a mesmerising hit from even further out in a Madrid derby in 2012; and who can forget that spellbinding, hat-trick sealing effort that secured a last-gasp draw for Portugal against Spain in a 3-3 thriller at the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo might have gone off the boil from dead balls since the halcyon days either side of his move from Manchester to Madrid, yet there's no doubting that when he hits them true, there's not much any goalkeeper can do.

While he may not go down as one of the greatest free-kick takers in history statistically, he has definitely been a scorer of some great free-kicks down the years.

And who knows, maybe there'll be more to come in Saudi Arabia.

Massimiliano Allegri said Juventus "never had a first half like" their poor showing against Monza on Sunday.

The Bianconeri went in 2-0 down to the visitors at the break and were unable to turn it around in the second-half as Raffaele Palladino's men completed a league double over them.

Goals from Patrick Ciurria and Dany Mota were enough for Monza to secure a 2-0 win at Allianz Stadium, following their 1-0 win against Juve earlier in the season in Palladino's first game in charge.

Monza became only the second team ever to win both their first two games against Juventus in Serie A, after Inter in 1930.

Speaking to the media after the defeat, Allegri said: "I'm angry, we can't concede goals like that. We've never had a first half like today.

"We have to think about working on the field... we need to examine our conscience and start playing with intent again."

It was the latest setback for Juve after being hit with a 15-point deduction in Serie A related to previous transfer dealings, and Allegri was left in no doubt how much work there is to do to rescue their season.

"Reality says that we have 23 points, so we still have to win many more," he said. "This is reality, and if we don't look at it, we'll get hurt. 

"We are all responsible for the performance... In [our last] three games [in the league] we won just one point and conceded 10 goals.

"We facilitated the Monza goals, they came out with disarming ease. You can't allow them to get into the defence like we did. They got through us too easily.

"We didn't have any reactions... The last few performances were not up to par, when you lose you have to lose in another way, [though] there was a different attitude in the second half."

Two first-half goals for Monza proved enough to give them their second win of the season against Juventus to add to the Bianconeri's problems.

Patrick Ciurria and Dany Mota struck for Raffaele Palladino's men as they secured a 2-0 win at Allianz Stadium on Sunday to follow up their 1-0 win earlier in the season in Palladino's first game in charge.

Juve only beat Monza 2-1 in the Coppa Italia 10 days prior but struggled to deal with their energetic visitors here, as they had done in their defeat at Stadio Brianteo in the reverse league fixture in September.

It is a further blow to Juve's hopes of Champions League qualification following their 15-point penalty related to the club's transfer dealings imposed earlier this month.

Monza were denied the lead when Gianluca Caprari's strike was ruled out for offside after a VAR check, but they were not made to wait long to rectify that as Ciurria raced onto a pass from Jose Machin before firing into the roof of the net in the 18th minute.

It was two for the visitors six minutes before half-time as Carlos Augusto went on a mazy run through the Juve defence before feeding Mota, who rounded Wojciech Szczesny and finished calmly.

Massimiliano Allegri opted to bring Arkadiusz Milik on for Moise Kean early in the second half as the hosts looked to find a way back into the game, and Michele Di Gregorio did well to keep out a fierce effort from the Pole.

The 25-year-old stopper produced his finest save of the game in the 74th minute when he tipped an Angel Di Maria effort from long range wide when it had been arrowing towards to top corner of his goal.

Gleison Bremer had a goal disallowed with just over 10 minutes remaining as Juve toiled and ultimately failed to get back into the contest.

Tottenham are reportedly investigating a potential move for young Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, despite the hefty asking price for the Ecuador international.

Hincapie, 21, is in his second Bundesliga season after arriving from Argentinian side Talleres, and has forced his way into Leverkusen's starting XI, earning 13 starts among his 15 total league appearances this campaign.

He also has 24 senior international caps for Ecuador under his belt, playing every minute of his country's three group stage fixtures at the Qatar World Cup.

Hincapie's emergence has not gone unnoticed, and Leverkusen are said to be informing interested clubs that any sale of their talented youngster will come at a heavy price.

TOP STORY – SPURS KICK THE TYRES ON PRIZED LEVERKUSEN DEFENDER

According to the Sun, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is desperate to add a new central defender before the end of the month, but the club were knocked back by a massive £80million price tag.

The report indicates Hincapie would be in favour of a move to the Premier League, and to Tottenham specifically, but that it would be far more likely to occur at the end of the season.

Interestingly, the Sun believes Leverkusen would be open to accepting as little as £20m if it meant Hincapie could spend the rest of the season on loan with the German side, but with his contract tying him to Leverkusen until 2026, it is hard to believe they would budge so significantly from their lofty valuation.

It also mentions Tottenham's pursuit of Sporting right-back Pedro Porro is on the verge of falling through, but Portuguese publication Record is reporting that a verbal agreement is in place for a £42m (€48m) deal.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport are reporting Chelsea will make a run at 23-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are anticipating the Serbian's departure and will seek to replace him with 25-year-old Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

– According to Sport, Barcelona are focusing on 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as their long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets after failing to land Real Sociedad talent Martin Zubimendi.

– Manchester United believe they are priced out of the Harry Kane sweepstakes, per the Daily Star.

– Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have returned with a second offer for 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, but their £70m bid is still below the £80m demand.

– The Telegraph adds that the outcome of Arsenal's push for Caicedo will not affect their desire to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice after the season, and they will try to secure both.