Napoli Transfer Market: Bad News for Allegri—The Long-Awaited Signing Slips Away
No move to Napoli for Gabriel Jesus. Following rumors in recent weeks, the Brazilian forward has decided his future and will become a new Barcelona player. The Blaugrana had long been searching for a center forward capable of carrying on Robert Lewandowski’s legacy. After repeated failed attempts to sign Julian Alvarez—with Atlético Madrid consistently rejecting offers for the Argentine—Barcelona has decisively shifted its focus to the Arsenal forward, who is now set to leave the Gunners.
The deal is expected to close for approximately 15 million euros. Gabriel Jesus is expected to arrive tomorrow, Monday, August 31, to undergo a physical before signing his new contract. A two-year deal is ready for the Brazilian, with an option to extend the contract for a third season. This move effectively closes the door on Napoli and sets Gabriel Jesus on a new journey in La Liga.
Meanwhile, Barcelona is once again knocking on Inter’s door, asking for a Nerazzurri star. After receiving a flat “no” from Inter regarding Lautaro Martinez, rumors suggest that the Catalans’ sporting director, Deco, has returned to the fray, testing the waters for Federico Dimarco. The Nerazzurri left-back—last season’s Serie A MVP and a true cornerstone of the Italian champions—has reportedly caught the eye of the Blaugrana, who are searching for a world-class player on that flank, according to the Catalan daily Sport. Barcelona is said to have proposed a trade to Inter: Dimarco would head to Barcelona while Alejandro Balde would end up in Milan, with a substantial cash adjustment to match the Nerazzurri player’s valuation. Balde is not part of Hansi Flick’s plans and is surplus to requirements for the Blaugrana, who also offered him to Milan a few days ago.
As was to be expected, the approach was unsuccessful. Inter considers Dimarco unsellable and has refused to authorize the player’s departure: the proposal was thus sent back to the sender with a flat refusal. The left-back had a simply extraordinary 2025–2026 season, finishing with 6 goals and 18 assists —an all-time record for a single Serie A season—which earned him the award for the league’s best player, making him the first Italian to win it since the award’s inception in 2018–2019. The Italian national team player has not yet renewed his contract with Inter, which is currently set to expire at the end of the current season, but the parties have been in discussions for some time and an agreement appears to be imminent: there is talk of a deal running through 2030.
