MARCO PALESTRA REFUSES TO LET INTER RUMORS DISTRACT FROM CAGLIARI’S RELEGATION BATTLE
Marco Palestra addresses Inter Milan rumours. Read why the Atalanta loanee is prioritising Cagliari's safety.
Marco Palestra isn’t shutting the door on a move to Inter this summer, but right now, his mind’s on one thing: saving Cagliari’s spot in Serie A. “We’ll see in the summer,” he said.
This season’s been a bit of a whirlwind for him. At just 21, he’s made a serious name for himself, breaking through during his loan at Cagliari and earning his first runs with Italy’s national team. Sure, the World Cup play-off loss in Bosnia still stings for everyone, but it hasn’t stopped the buzz around Palestra’s future.
He’s still under contract at Atalanta until 2029, but after his performances, clubs have started circling, especially Inter, who look set to take the league. At an event in Coverciano on Monday, reporters pressed him about his plans. Palestra kept it close to the chest, just saying it’s flattering to hear big clubs are interested, and he’ll figure it out in the summer.
“I honestly didn’t imagine this at the start of the season,” Palestra said. “I was just trying to focus day by day, just trying to get better and not thinking too far ahead.” He still sees room to grow, which makes sense given his age. “Everyone at 21 has a lot to learn. I need to improve in everything, really. I’ve had two seasons now in Serie A, and there’s always more to pick up from my teammates and coach.”
The Inter rumours keep swirling, but when you ask him about it, his answer’s steady: it’s about Cagliari right now. “I’m only thinking about Cagliari. Safety comes first. The rumours are flattering, sure, but we’ll handle all that later.” He echoed it again: “I’m 100% focused on Cagliari. They deserve that. I’ll talk things through with my agents when the season’s done, but I don’t want any distractions right now.”
The sting of Italy missing the World Cup again is still fresh for him. “The loss in Bosnia was a heavy blow for all of us. The days after weren’t easy. But we have to regroup and come back stronger. This group is special, and we’ll help each other recover and improve.”
As for how he handled the disappointment? “It was tough, especially at first. I just stayed home, replaying what went wrong over and over. But I had to snap out of it for Cagliari’s sake. Now, staying up in Serie A is all that matters.”
MODRIC UNDERGOES CHEEKBONE SURGERY JUST WEEKS BEFORE CROATIA’S OPENING MATCH
AC Milan and Croatia legend Luka Modric has undergone surgery following a clash of heads. We look at his path to World Cup fitness.
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Luka Modric, AC Milan’s Croatian midfield legend, just had surgery after fracturing his cheekbone, an injury that couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the World Cup so close. He picked up the injury in a tough Serie A match against Juventus, sending his World Cup hopes up in the air.
Modric, who’s been a rock for Milan this season, clashed heads with Manuel Locatelli during Sunday’s 0-0 draw at San Siro. It was one of those moments where you just know something’s wrong. He had to come off with ten minutes left, clearly in some pain, but stayed on the sidelines until the final whistle, not wanting to leave his teammates behind. After the match, scans showed he’d fractured his left cheekbone, which meant immediate surgery.
This setback couldn’t have come at a worse time. Modric is gearing up for what’s probably his last World Cup as Croatia’s captain. Still, his national team coach, Zlatko Dalic, sounds confident. He recently spoke with Luka, wished him a quick recovery, and said he believes Modric will do everything possible to get fit before the World Cup. Dalic is convinced his captain will bounce back and lead Croatia once again this summer.
For Milan, though, that pretty much ends Modric’s club season. With just four games left and Milan trailing Inter by twelve points, it’s hard to see him making another league appearance. That’s a tough pill to swallow after such a strong year. He’s started 32 out of 34 matches, showing he can still hang with the best at 40. Modric’s contract runs out this summer, but he can choose to stay for another year if he wants.
So what now? Croatia start their World Cup campaign against England on June 17, then face Ghana and Panama. If Modric heals in time, he’ll probably have to play wearing one of those carbon-fibre masks you see nowadays when players come back from facial injuries. The Croatian team still hopes he’ll be fully fit before the tournament kicks off. There's a seven-week window, so fingers crossed.
For Modric, this summer could be the last shot at the biggest stage in football. The next few weeks are all about rehab and recovery, and honestly, pretty much everyone’s going to be watching to see if he makes it back for one more run at glory.
ISMAëL KONé’S BREAKOUT SERIE A FORM SPARKS MAJOR INTEREST AHEAD OF SUMMER WINDOW
Fabio Grosso has secured Sassuolo’s survival, powered by breakout star Ismaël Koné. We look at the Canadian's stellar debut season.
Jonathan David grabbed plenty of headlines during his first year in Serie A, but he’s not the only Canadian making waves in Italy. Sassuolo’s Ismaël Koné has started turning heads, too.
Koné scored six goals in 30 Serie A matches this season, and he’s quickly become one of the league’s most exciting midfielders. At just 23, he joined Sassuolo from Marseille last summer, so this was his first taste of Italian football.
Sassuolo’s season started rocky; one week, they looked dazzling, the next, they seemed lost. You never really knew which version of the team would show up, almost like throwing down bets with no script. But as the months went on, they steadied themselves under coach Fabio Grosso, who you might remember from the 2006 World Cup. The team eventually found their feet and wrapped up their Serie A safety weeks before the end.
One of Sassuolo’s bright spots came on March 1, 2026, when they edged out Atalanta 2-1 at home. Koné opened the scoring in minute 23, and Grosso couldn’t hide his pride afterwards, telling DAZN: “That was a wild match. The guys just wrote their names into this club’s history. We’d been searching for something sweet to cap off our season; this was it, plus a huge cherry on top. Atalanta have been dangerous, fresh off their run in the Champions League, but our defenders kept their focus for the full 90 minutes. That’s not easy to do.”
He added, “We needed those points, and it felt even better to get them with a performance like that.”
Back in Turin, Juventus striker Jonathan David has found things a bit more complicated. Expectations have been sky-high since the ex-Lille forward arrived on a free transfer, and every game has been dissected good and bad. Koné, by contrast, isn’t under the same glare, and that’s maybe helped him settle in quicker.
Even after David scored against Bologna, the Italian pundits couldn’t make up their minds. Massimo Ambrosini said, “Honestly, David was more involved in other matches. But his teammates appreciate him, and they stick up for him. Spalletti wants a striker with versatility. David’s gotten a bit better, but I don’t see that ruthless edge in the box just yet. He always used to have it, but we haven’t seen it here.”
For Koné, this Serie A debut has been a breakthrough. He’s shown off his stamina, poise, and talent, not just his goals. Keep an eye on him at the 2026 World Cup, and expect plenty of transfer rumours swirling around the former Marseille man all summer long.
