Manchester United have reportedly made Tottenham striker Harry Kane their top priority when addressing their attacking options at the end of the season.

Kane, 29, has already stamped his legacy as one of the Premier League's greatest ever strikers, sitting third on the all-time goals list in the competition with 201. He also owns the record for the most goals ever scored for Tottenham (268) and is tied for the most goals representing England (53).

Despite his decorated personal resume, Tottenham are set for a 15th consecutive season without any silverware, and with their Champions League hopes for next campaign hanging on by a thread, they may have run out of time to prove to their star striker why he should stay.

 

TOP STORY – UNITED DETERMINED TO BRING KANE TO OLD TRAFFORD

According to the Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag has identified Kane as his primary target.

The report adds that they remain interested in Napoli's Victor Osimhen, as well as Benfica's Goncalo Ramos, but Kane is the top priority if they can make it happen.

With only one more season remaining on his contract, Kane will likely get his wish to leave if he decides he will certainly not sign a new deal, as the club would be risking a potential £100million sale if they hold onto him through the next transfer deadline.

But just because Tottenham may sell him does not mean he would land at Old Trafford, with Bayern Munich's well-documented interest still prevalent.

 

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Inter are interested in bringing in towering 24-year-old Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca from West Ham after a disappointing first season in the Premier League.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, 25-year-old Tottenham striker Richarlison is a candidate to replace Karim Benzema at Real Madrid, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are also keeping a close eye on Richarlison's availability.

Roberto Firmino has offered his services to Barcelona as he seeks a new team for next season, per Sport.

– Football Insider is reporting Manchester United are in "pole position" to meet the £70m (€79m) asking price to sign 25-year-old Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, despite his repeated comments that he has no interest in leaving Spain.

– Journalist Rudy Galetti claims Chelsea are interested in a pair of 28-year-old centre backs – Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez.

Manchester United have reportedly made Tottenham striker Harry Kane their top priority when addressing their attacking options at the end of the season.

Kane, 29, has already stamped his legacy as one of the Premier League's greatest ever strikers, sitting third on the all-time goals list in the competition with 201. He also owns the record for the most goals ever scored for Tottenham (268) and is tied for the most goals representing England (53).

Despite his decorated personal resume, Tottenham are set for a 15th consecutive season without any silverware, and with their Champions League hopes for next campaign hanging on by a thread, they may have run out of time to prove to their star striker why he should stay.

 

TOP STORY – UNITED DETERMINED TO BRING KANE TO OLD TRAFFORD

According to the Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag has identified Kane as his primary target.

The report adds that they remain interested in Napoli's Victor Osimhen, as well as Benfica's Goncalo Ramos, but Kane is the top priority if they can make it happen.

With only one more season remaining on his contract, Kane will likely get his wish to leave if he decides he will certainly not sign a new deal, as the club would be risking a potential £100million sale if they hold onto him through the next transfer deadline.

But just because Tottenham may sell him does not mean he would land at Old Trafford, with Bayern Munich's well-documented interest still prevalent.

 

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Inter are interested in bringing in towering 24-year-old Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca from West Ham after a disappointing first season in the Premier League.

– According to Mundo Deportivo, 25-year-old Tottenham striker Richarlison is a candidate to replace Karim Benzema at Real Madrid, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are also keeping a close eye on Richarlison's availability.

Roberto Firmino has offered his services to Barcelona as he seeks a new team for next season, per Sport.

– Football Insider is reporting Manchester United are in "pole position" to meet the £70m (€79m) asking price to sign 25-year-old Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, despite his repeated comments that he has no interest in leaving Spain.

– Journalist Rudy Galetti claims Chelsea are interested in a pair of 28-year-old centre backs – Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City and Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez.

Simone Inzaghi warned Inter must show more "conviction and malice" after they slumped to a 2-1 Serie A defeat at relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty to set the tone for a miserable night for Nerazzurri, who failed to reduce runaway leaders Napoli's 15-point lead.

Daniel Maldini stunned Inter when the on-loan Milan attacking midfielder put Spezia in front just 10 minutes after being introduced as a half-time substitute.

Romelu Lukaku showed Martinez how it's done by equalising with a spot-kick after 83 minutes, but M'Bala Nzola gave Spezia a first win over Inter when he scored a penalty of his own four minutes later after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over.

Inter had 28 shots as they dominated much of the game, but slumped to an eighth Serie A defeat of the season as they prepare to take a 1-0 lead to Porto for a huge Champions League round-of-16 second leg on Tuesday.

Head coach Inzaghi knows the Nerazzurri only have themselves to blame.

He told DAZN: "It hurts, the defeat came in a different way than the others. We put everything on the field, perhaps we needed a little more malice.

"We have a duty to go ahead and I take responsibility for the defeat. We should have been more cynical, we come out stronger from defeats even if there have been more this year."

Six of Inter's eight Serie A defeat this season have come on their travels and Inzaghi says that must be addressed.

"It's a path that doesn't satisfy us away from San Siro, tonight we had to have more conviction and malice," he said.

"I don't believe in luck in football, luck must be sought,"

M'Bala Nzola's late penalty punished wasteful Inter and gave Serie A strugglers Spezia a shock 2-1 victory on Friday.

The Nerazzurri's slim title hopes are surely over after they were beaten by relegation-threatened Spezia for the first time at Stadio Alberto Picco.

Bartlomiej Dragowski saved an early Lautaro Martinez penalty, and that was a sign of things to come as toothless second-placed Inter dominated the majority of the game but lacked a cutting edge.

Daniel Maldini, on loan from Inter's fierce rivals Milan, put Spezia in front just under 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute at half-time, but Romelu Lukaku's late spot-kick looked to have salvaged a point.

Nzola had the final say by slotting home from 12 yards out after Denzel Dumfries barged Viktor Kovalenko over, ensuring Inter remain 15 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

 

 

 

 

Romelu Lukaku is "giving excellent signals" following a timely return to form, according to Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi.

The Belgium international has scored just four goals for the Nerazzurri since returning on loan from Chelsea last June.

Two of those have come in his last four appearances - including the winner in the first leg of Inter's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto.

The striker is just one goal away from becoming only the fourth player to score 50 times in Serie A and the Premier League, after Gianfranco Zola, Edin Dzeko and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We know his value, he came from a problematic period, and now he is giving excellent signals," Inzaghi said of Lukaku during his press conference ahead of Inter's clash with Spezia on Friday. 

"He trains in the best way every day, he scored an important goal against Porto, and we want him to continue to raise the condition."

Second-placed Inter will be expected to cut the gap to runaway leaders Napoli to 12 points with victory over their 17th-placed opponents, who are just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Nerazzurri saw a six-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Bologna, but Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response in their routine 2-0 victory over Lecce. 

"We reacted well by having an excellent game against Lecce," he added. "We must continue like this, with this determination, also from tomorrow.

"[It will be] a difficult game, against a team that has a very specific goal for which it is fighting.

"They come from two draws in a row. We will have to interpret the game in the best way, doing simple things."

Manchester United have reportedly been sending scouts to watch Roma striker Tammy Abraham, although their pursuit could be complicated by interest from his former club.

Abraham, 25, left Chelsea following the 2020-21 season for a £34million fee, and the England international has already exceeded his Chelsea haul of 82 appearances and 30 goals in less than two seasons in Italy.

After racking up 53 outings and 27 goals in his debut campaign with Roma, Abraham has come back down to earth this time around, with just seven goals in 34 games.

There is said to be interest from United in the striker with 11 senior caps for England, although Chelsea will ultimately have the final say about whether they allow him to head to Old Trafford.


TOP STORY – CHELSEA HOLD THE KEYS TO UNITED'S ABRAHAM PURSUIT

The Athletic is reporting United are closely monitoring Abraham's progress this season and have been present at a number of Roma games for that reason, but Chelsea have negotiated a buy-back clause that will give them the option of first refusal.

As part of the sale to Roma, Chelsea included a stipulation that allows them to bring Abraham back for £70.9m (€80m) after at least two seasons have passed – meaning it will activate this coming offseason.

The report adds that Chelsea are in desperate search of a new centre forward, and that while the fee involved may be significant, it is believed to be far less than the demands expected from Napoli for 24-year-old Victor Osimhen.

ROUND-UP

– According to Mundo Deportivo, citing Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter have enquired about 29-year-old Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti, who will be available for an affordable fee after rejuvenating his prospects with a strong loan spell at Lecce.

Tottenham are trying to pry 28-year-old midfielder James Ward-Prowse away from Southampton, who would almost assuredly leave his club if they cannot fight their way out of the relegation places, according to Football Insider.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona have an interest in signing 27-year-old Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio if he allows his contract to expire in a few months and can join on a free transfer.

– According to Calciomercato, Inter are hoping to replace outgoing centre-back Milan Skriniar with Lille 22-year-old Tiago Djalo.

Newcastle United are eyeing Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Leicester City's James Maddison as potential midfield reinforcements for next season, per Football Insider.

Simone Inzaghi challenged Inter to "continue at this pace" after returning to winning ways in Serie A with a comfortable victory over Lecce on Sunday.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lautaro Martinez were on target as Inter responded to a 1-0 defeat against Bologna with a much-improved showing in a 2-0 triumph over Lecce at San Siro.

Victory moved the Nerazzurri back to second in Serie A, albeit some 15 points behind runaways leaders Napoli, who were surprise 1-0 losers to third-placed Lazio on Friday.

With a crucial Champions League last-16 tie at Porto, who trail 1-0 after the first leg, to come on March 14, Inzaghi urged Inter to replicate their form after an impressive response.

"We know how things work: we came from a bad defeat like the one in Bologna, so there was a lot of talk about it," the Inter coach said at a post-match press conference. 

"I talked about it a lot with my players and my club. We responded well and we have to continue at this pace."

Lecce defeated top-four chasers Atalanta just two matches before the Inter visit and also boast a victory over Lazio, as well as draws with Napoli and Milan this season.

That suggests Marco Baroni's men are by no means pushovers in the Italian top flight and Inzaghi was glad to negotiate what could have been a tricky task.

"We played an excellent game, approached very well and the boys were intense for the entire 93 minutes," he added.

"We conceded nothing to a team that has had excellent games against big teams in this league. I'm very happy."

Speculation began to grow over wing-back Robin Gosens' future after failing to make the starting spot on the left-hand side his own following his move from Atalanta in January 2022.

However, an injury to Federico Dimarco saw the Germany international start for a second successive league game for Inzaghi's side and Gosens assured his commitment remains with Inter.

When asked about his future, the 28-year-old told DAZN: "Only Inter."

Inter's performance was in stark contrast to the defeat against Bologna last time out, with Gosens acknowledging that disappointing loss was a reality check.

"After Bologna we told each other to shut up and work because this is the only way to win matches in Serie A and we did so," added Gosens after his 150th match in Serie A.

"We saw a ready Inter who showed from the start that we wanted to win this important match, the victory was deserved and I felt good on the pitch, playing helps me."

Inter will look to build on their return to winning ways when they travel to relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday.

Inter moved back to second place in Serie A after Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lautaro Martinez were on target in a 2-0 victory over Lecce on Sunday.

Simone Inzaghi's side underwhelmed in a 1-0 defeat to Bologna last weekend but produced a much-improved performance to return to winning ways at San Siro.

Mkhitaryan's first-half opener set Inter on their way before top scorer Martinez's 14th league goal of the season made sure of the three points in the second half.

Victory saw Inzaghi's men leapfrog Lazio and cut Napoli's sizeable advantage at the summit to 15 points after the Partenopei lost to Maurizio Sarri's side on Friday.

Hakan Calhanoglu stung the palms of Wladimiro Falcone, while Andre Onana kept out a low Assan Ceesay drive in an opening bereft of clear-cut chances.

Edin Dzeko headed narrowly wide from Calhanoglu's corner soon after, before Mkhitaryan delivered the first moment of quality for his 29th-minute opener.

The midfielder swept a right-footed finish from Nicola Barella's offload into the top-right corner after the Italy international evaded two challenges inside the area.

Martinez finished in similarly clinical fashion after 53 minutes, brushing Denzel Dumfries' low right-wing centre past Falcone to double Inter's lead.

Dzeko fired another presentable opportunity straight at Falcone and Alessandro Bastoni dragged wide as an insipid Lecce never threatened a late response.

 

What does it mean? Inter encouragement after another Lecce win

Defeat to Bologna last Sunday left Inzaghi and Martinez furious, with the pair warning Inter will achieve nothing with such poor performances.

The Nerazzurri responded with a dominant showing, though, as they won a ninth straight Serie A home game against Lecce, scoring 22 times in that run.

A Scudetto challenge may be off the cards but Inter can take encouragement from this display with the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, which they lead 1-0, at Porto to come on March 14.

Classy Calhanoglu

While Mkhitaryan scored in two consecutive home appearances in Serie A for the first time since May 2021 for Roma and Martinez once again impressed, Calhanoglu also deserves credit.

The Turkey midfielder was central to all of Inter's attacking promise as he created four chances – no player managed more.

Dire Dzeko

Dzeko was preferred up top by Inzaghi as he replaced Romelu Lukaku in the starting XI but the Bosnia and Herzegovina international failed to take his chance.

The striker missed a great first-half opportunity to compound his miserable run in front of goal, having scored just twice in 14 appearances in 2023.

What's next?

Inter visit relegation-threatened Spezia on Friday, while Lecce host Torino two days later.

Bernardo Silva is one step closer to getting his desired move to Barcelona after it was reported that Manchester City have named a price for their wantaway midfielder.

Silva, 28, is in his sixth season with City, but after four Premier League titles and 51 goals for the club, he recently spoke about his wish for a new challenge following multiple transfer windows with heavy interest from Barcelona.

The Portugal international, who scored against Newcastle United on Saturday, has a contract that ties him to the club until 2025, but City might be set grant his wish at the end of the season and allow him to leave – for the right price.

 

TOP STORY – CITY SET ASKING PRICE FOR BARCELONA-BOUND BERNARDO

According to Sport, City have told Silva that they will accept any incoming bid that reaches their demand of £57.5million (€65m).

Barcelona are well aware of the latest development, and are said to be doing all they can in the coming months to ensure the financial rules allow them to make the move. However, Silva's contract demands could be a stumbling block for the Spanish giants.

Reports suggest City previously rejected Barcelona's £62m (€70m) approach during the January window.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Inter will seek a €40m fee for defender Denzel Dumfries.

– According to The Mirror, Manchester United and Liverpool are among the Premier League teams preparing to make a run at New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

City will pursue RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol if they sell Paris Saint-Germain target Aymeric Laporte, per the Daily Star.

– Football Insider is reporting Arsenal, City, United and Liverpool are all showing interest in Brighton and Hove Albion's World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister , who the Seagulls are expected to price at £70m.

– According to Calciomercato, Milan are targeting £22m-rated (€25m) Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has five goals and 13 assists in 31 appearances this term.

The 22-year-old's talent has not gone unnoticed, and he is sure to have plenty of potential suitors.

Szoboszlai is contracted with Leipzig 2026, but the latest reports suggest a move is coming sooner rather than later.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA SET TO AGREE SZOBOSZLAI DEAL

Chelsea are on the verge of securing the signing of Leipzig midfielder Szoboszlai, according to TuttoMercatoWeb.

The Blues have been linked with the Hungary international for the past 12 months, but the report claims they are close to securing a deal.

Negotiations have become advanced, with the two parties "very close", and an agreement is likely to be reached in the next few days.

ROUND-UP

– Marcel Sabitzer is likely to make his loan move to Manchester United permanent, claims Sky Sport's Florian Plettenberg. Bayern Munich have already identified a replacement in the form of Konrad Laimer.

– Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol  could "soon" head to the Premier League, according to Calciomercato, offering a boost for English trio Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham.

– Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has identified Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli as his main transfer target, reports Fichajes.

– Italian trio  MilanInter and Juventus are all monitoring  Roberto Firmino's situation at Liverpool following reports he will exit the club at the end of this season when his contract expires, claims Football Italia.

– Sport claims Newcastle United are plotting a move for Barcelona winger Raphinha . The former Leeds United man has not made a huge impact since his move to Camp Nou.

– Wilfried Zaha will exit Crystal Palace as a free agent at the end of this season, with Arsenal and Chelsea among those leading the pursuit to sign him, reports talkSPORT.

Giuseppe Marotta says Inter have "never lacked trust" in Simone Inzaghi but the club must find "therapy" following a 1-0 Serie A defeat to Bologna on Sunday.

Riccardo Orsolini scored the only goal of the game to leave the second-placed Nerazzurri 18 points behind runaway leaders Napoli.

Striker Lautaro Martinez warned Inter will "get nowhere playing like this" after their six-game unbeaten run came to a halt.

Inter CEO Marotta has full faith in head coach Inzaghi, yet he wants more consistency.

He told Sky Sport Italia: "We are protagonists in the Champions League and in the Coppa Italia, but in what is the most important competition, the championship, there is discontinuity in results.

"We believe in Inzaghi, he is doing an excellent job and trust has never failed. Today it is difficult to win and be competitive, but one fact emerges: we are inconsistent, especially when the team faces teams clearly within reach.

"It is on this point that an analysis must be made and a therapy identified, it being understood that the club must support this activity."

He added of Inzaghi: "Our obligation is to give satisfaction to the fans. Inzaghi is a good, young and well-prepared coach. We have never lacked trust in him."

Marotta is unsure whether on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku will be at San Siro next season.

He said: "Talking about it now is premature. In June, he will return to Chelsea and then a new scenario will open up and we'll see what to do.

"He wants to stay, surely knowing him we will see if it will be the case to be able to negotiate his return with us."

Lautaro Martinez bemoaned Inter's Serie A form this season after they slipped to a shock 1-0 defeat against Bologna, with the forward insistent they have to change.

A Riccardo Orsolini half-volley saw the visitors downed on the road at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, to leave them 18 points adrift of Napoli in the top-flight.

Having lost the Scudetto to rivals Milan last term, the San Siro outfit had hoped to mount a serious challenge to reclaim their crown this season.

But with any challenge all but long gone amid their indifferent form, Martinez acknowledged something has to shift for Simone Inzaghi's side.

"It would be wrong to talk too much in the heat of the moment," he told Sky Sport Italia. "But the sensation I have right now is that we'll get nowhere playing like this.

"We need to be more consistent. We just played a great game in the Champions League. We arrive here fired up and then [we] put in this performance.

"We've got to get our heads up and push forward, because we will get nowhere like this."

"Bologna are a good side. They played better than us today and deserved the win. We need to be more consistent, like we were against Porto.

"I am here to apologise to all the Inter fans. If I feel the need to say something, then I say it. We are 18 points behind Napoli, so clearly something is not working."

Inter next face a trip to Lecce, followed by a home clash against Spezia ahead of their second leg with Porto in the Champions League.

Simone Inzaghi feels Inter must "do more" after they fell to a 1-0 defeat away at Bologna on Sunday.

Riccardo Orsolini fired home a 76th-minute winner to give the hosts victory at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara and inflict another blow to Inter's already slim chances of catching runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.

Inter have now failed to score in two consecutive away games in Serie A for the first time since April 2018, and Inzaghi says the Nerazzurri must improve if they are to get back to winning ways.

"There will be a lot of talk about the defeat and there will be criticism, but I'm the coach and I'm primarily responsible," he said.

"We have to say that even if the result had been different, we couldn't have been happy with our first half.

"We have to analyse and understand why these drops happen to us after the European matches, we have to do more and better."

Inter's lacklustre display, which saw them concede at least nine shots in a Serie A first half for only the second time this season, came after Wednesday's 1-0 win over Porto in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.

Inzaghi is unsure why they failed to follow up that impressive performance with another strong showing, saying: "If you go to watch matches, after the Champions League we often have some problems.

"Then away from San Siro the problem becomes even more pronounced and we have to try to do better.

"Today's first half was insufficient, the second was better, but in the moment in which we had created the conditions to win the game, we conceded goals."

Asked whether he felt let down by his players, Inzaghi replied: "Betrayed no, they have always given me everything both in the match and in training.

"I'm sorry because we are Inter and we have to do more."

A toothless attacking display from Inter saw them beaten 1-0 by Bologna on Sunday as Riccardo Orsolini scored to give the hosts all three points.

The Nerazzurri had four shots on target without scoring at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara as Napoli's charge towards a first Serie A title in more than two decades received yet another boost.

Musa Barrow saw an early goal disallowed for offside, though it would matter little as Orsolini fired home a 76th-minute winner to clinch victory and put another dent in Inter's already slim title hopes.

With an 18-point deficit to overturn, catching runaway leaders Napoli now looks a hugely improbable prospect for Inter and they may now have to focus on fending off the likes of Roma and Milan for second spot.

 

Bologna thought they were ahead after 12 minutes through a fine finish from Barrow, but a VAR review ruled the offside Nicolas Dominguez as having blocked Andre Onana's view.

The hosts continued to look the more threatening as Roberto Soriano hit the crossbar, though Lautaro Martinez should have done better when he sent a free header wide of the post. 

Clear-cut chances for both teams continued to be few and far between as the game went into the break goalless, but Hakan Calhanoglu missed a golden opportunity shortly after the interval when he blazed over.

Soriano saw a shot blocked, before Edin Dzeko came off the bench to force a decent save out of Lukasz Skorupski.

The deadlock would be broken with 14 minutes to play, though, as Orsolini latched onto Jerdy Schouten's throughball before firing home his fourth goal in five matches to claim an impressive victory.

 

What does it mean? Drab Inter not matching Napoli's stunning form

The title race looks all but over as Napoli's closest challengers continue to falter while they march on, rattling off eight straight Serie A victories since they were beaten by Inter in early January. 

The Nerazzurri looked a far cry from challengers here as they failed to score against Bologna for the first time in eight league meetings. 

Inter accumulated just 1.01 xG (expected goals) to Bologna's 1.28 as Skorupski enjoyed a relatively comfortable 90 minutes between the sticks before watching Orsolini secure all three points for his team. 

Orsolini the hero

In-form winger Orsolini has now been involved in six of Bologna's last seven Serie A goals as he fired them to a fifth victory in six league games. 

The goal capped an impressive display from the 26-year-old, registering three shots and creating three chances as well as scoring the well-taken winner. 

Ineffective Lukaku fires a blank

Romelu Lukaku managed just nine touches in the first half while also not creating any chances as he failed to provide much of a focal point for Inter.

Simone Inzaghi saw enough after 64 minutes, deciding to bring on former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko with Lukaku unable to add to his two Serie A goals this season.

Key Opta Facts:

- Bologna have won four of their past five Serie A games (L1), three of these by just a one-goal margin.
- Inter have failed to score in two consecutive away games in Serie A for their first time since April 2018 (three).
- Orsolini has been involved in 10 goals in a Serie A season for the fourth time with Bologna (seven goals and three assists in the current campaign).
- Inter have not score a single goal with their last 40 shots fired on the road in Serie A.
- The Nerazzurri have conceded at least nine shots in a Serie A first half for only the second time this season, after doing so against Milan last September (13).

What's next?

Inter host Lecce in Serie A next Sunday, while Bologna travel to Torino the following day.

A toothless attacking display from Inter saw them beaten 1-0 by Bologna on Sunday as Riccardo Orsolini scored to give the hosts all three points.

The Nerazzurri had four shots on target without scoring at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara as Napoli's charge towards a first Serie A title in more than two decades received yet another boost.

Musa Barrow saw an early goal disallowed for offside, though it would matter little as Orsolini fired home a 76th-minute winner to clinch victory and put another dent in Inter's already slim title hopes.

With an 18-point deficit to overturn, catching runaway leaders Napoli now looks a hugely improbable prospect for Inter as they may now have to focus on fending off the likes of Roma and Milan for second spot.

Bologna thought they were ahead after 12 minutes through a fine finish from Barrow, but a VAR review ruled the offside Nicolas Dominguez as having blocked Andre Onana's view.

The hosts continued to look the more threatening as Roberto Soriano hit the crossbar, though Lautaro Martinez should have done better when he sent a free header wide of the post. 

Clear-cut chances for both teams continued to be few and far between as the game went into the break goalless, but Hakan Calhanoglu missed a golden opportunity shortly after the interval when he blazed over.

Soriano saw a shot blocked, before Edin Dzeko came off the bench to force a decent save out of Lukasz Skorupski.

The deadlock would be broken with 14 minutes to play, though, as Orsolini latched onto Jerdy Schouten's throughball before firing home his fourth goal in five matches to claim an impressive victory.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.