Parma have put a €25 million price tag on Alessandro Circati, and Italy's two most decorated clubs are now in a queue to pay it. Juventus and AC Milan have both made contact over the 22-year-old centre back, according to transfer reporter Ekrem Manour — and if either deal goes through, it shatters the Australian transfer record by a significant margin.
Harry Souttar's £25m move to Leicester after the 2022 World Cup currently holds that record. Circati would blow past it. And he wouldn't even be the only Socceroo breaking records this window — 18-year-old Lucas Herrington is reportedly set to join Hull from Colorado Rapids for £17m, making him the second Australian to eclipse Souttar in the same summer.
Why the price has jumped
Earlier estimates had Circati fetching around €20m. Parma have revised upward, and it's not hard to see why. The Perth-born defender was one of the standout performers at the World Cup in the United States and Canada, drawing links to Atletico Madrid, Newcastle, and even PSG. When a player attracts that kind of attention, his current club stops being a seller and starts being an auctioneer.
Circati's father and co-agent Gianfranco has been measured in his public comments. "You must remember that Ale has a contract until 2029 and is very happy where he is, so we're not in a hurry," he told football360.com.au. "It's really up to Parma whether they want to keep him or sell him." That's the language of a camp that knows leverage when they have it.
The defender's arc at Parma has been genuinely impressive — arriving in 2022, playing a key role in their promotion to Serie A, then establishing himself as vice-captain in the top flight over the past two seasons. He's not a project. He's a finished product at 22.
Arsenal's Guimaraes bid rejected — but talks are on
Arsenal have had their opening offer for Bruno Guimaraes knocked back by Newcastle, with the two clubs now in direct negotiation. The Brazilian is currently in Spain on Newcastle's pre-season camp, but he reportedly told the club last month he wants the move to the Emirates.
Newcastle's starting position was close to £100m. Reports now suggest £70-80m may be enough to get it done — a significant climbdown that reflects both Guimaraes's desire to leave and Newcastle's financial realities. Sky Sports pundit Julian Laurens was blunt about it: "Newcastle know how much Guimaraes wants to leave and join Arsenal."
Laurens also drew a pointed comparison: "Newcastle want to avoid what happened with Alexander Isak last summer because it didn't bring anything good to anyone." That episode dragged through the window and soured relationships all round. The expectation from Laurens is this one concludes within two weeks.
Arteta's interest centres on Guimaraes's press-resistance and positional versatility — he can play six, eight, or ten. The plan, reportedly, is to slot him in front of the back four with Rice and Odegaard either side. Arsenal's title odds don't shift dramatically on the first rejected bid, but they will if this gets done.
Henderson to Chelsea, Torres's Barcelona future in doubt
Chelsea confirmed the signing of Jordan Henderson from Brentford on a two-year deal. The 36-year-old, who featured for England at the recent World Cup and broke his arm late in the tournament, joins Xabi Alonso's squad alongside Danny Welbeck, who arrived two days prior.
Chelsea also spent a British-record £117m on Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa this summer and have added Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra in defence. They finished 10th last season, one point behind Brentford, and missed European football entirely. Alonso is clearly building something — though the Henderson signing reads more like squad depth than a statement.
The Blues open their Premier League campaign on August 24 away at Fulham, who have just signed Real Madrid pair Gonzalo Garcia (£34m) and Cesar Palacios (€10m). That's a competitive opener for a side still finding its identity under a new manager.
Meanwhile, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the club needs attacking reinforcements after losing Lewandowski and Rashford, with Ferran Torres's future also unclear. The World Cup final goalscorer has one year left on his contract and told NBC, "in football you never know." PSG are said to be interested. Barca's bid for Julian Alvarez was rejected by Atletico. Their forward line, heading into a Champions League defence, is thinner than they'd like.
