The ink was barely dry on France's exit papers before the rumour mill in Turin began to grind with a distinctly Anglo American flavour. As the contine...
The ink was barely dry on France's exit papers before the rumour mill in Turin began to grind with a distinctly Anglo American flavour. As the continental dust settles, GoalZaza dello Sport runs with a narrative that feels less like idle gossip and more like a stated ambition. Fiorentina technical director Daniele Pradè and FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina are working behind the scenes to install Gianluigi Buffon in a club executive role, a move that would bring the 2006 World Cup winner back into the Italian footballing fold. But the headline that will have supporters chewing on their scarves involves Arsenal's Folarin Balogun, a striker whose stock has soared since his loan spell at Reims last season.Let's be clear: Juventus are not a team built for a rebuild. They are a club that demands immediate, clinical finishing and tactical flexibility. Balogun, for all his raw pace and physicality, remains a work in progress. Yet the logic is sound. With Dusan Vlahovic struggling to reproduce his Fiorentina form and Moise Kean blowing hot and cold, the Bianconeri need a forward who can stretch a low block and thrive in transitional play. Balogun's ability to drop deep, link play, and finish with either foot makes him a tantalising prospect for Max Allegri's system. But is he ready for the pressure of the Allianz Stadium That is the question the sporting director's office must answer.The Buffon narrative adds a curious layer to this developing story. Bringing the legendary goalkeeper back to the club, not as a player but as a mentor or director, would inject a dose of the old winning DNA into a dressing room that has sometimes looked lost without it. Pairing that institutional memory with a young, hungry striker like Balogun could be the kind of blend that turns a transitional season into a statement of intent. Of course, the Premier League money machine is also circling; Arsenal's valuation remains high, and the competition for his signature will be fierce.For now, the papers are dreaming in black and white. France's early exit from the international stage has shifted the conversation squarely back to domestic ambition. Juventus need a finisher, and Balogun wants a stage. The dance has begun, but as any true football fan knows, the transfer market is a game of inches. One misstep and you are left with an empty kit rack and a summer of regret.
