Milan Close on Moreira; Lazio Face Ratkov, Icardi Battles

Milan Edge Closer to Diego Moreira

AC Milan are on the verge of completing the signing of Diego Moreira from Strasbourg, with the Belgian international having passed his medical on Monday afternoon. According to Tuttomercatoweb, the 22-year-old winger has returned to his Milan hotel and will put pen to paper on Wednesday morning, with the contract signing slightly delayed from the original plan.

Milan beat off competition from RB Leipzig to land Moreira, agreeing a fee close to Strasbourg's valuation without meeting their initial €70m asking price. The Rossoneri will pay a fixed €50m, with bonuses that could push the total package up to €65m, making him one of the club's most expensive signings of the summer alongside Gonçalo Ramos.

Roma had also shown strong interest earlier in the window, but Milan's accelerated move proved decisive. Moreira, who can operate as a wing-back, winger, or attacking midfielder on the left flank, came through Benfica's academy before a brief Chelsea spell, a loan at Lyon, and two seasons establishing himself in Ligue 1 with Strasbourg. He also featured for Belgium at this summer's World Cup.

Lazio's Striker Shuffle: Ratkov Out, Icardi In?

Meanwhile, Lazio are working to offload Petar Ratkov this summer, with a third club now interested in the Serbian striker as his future at the club looks increasingly shaky. According to Sky Sport, via TuttoMercatoWeb, Dinamo Moscow and Southampton have both made contact over a permanent deal, and they've now been joined by Red Star Belgrade.

Ratkov had hoped to fight for his place under Gennaro Gattuso at Formello, but has come to accept the coach would rather bring in a different option up front, leaving him open to a move. None of the three suitors have yet convinced the striker to commit, and Lazio are pushing to get a sale over the line so they can reinvest the proceeds elsewhere in the squad.

That search for a new forward extends beyond Ratkov's exit, with Lazio's other priority, free agent Mauro Icardi, now facing competition from an unexpected direction. According to Il Messaggero, via FirenzeViola, Fiorentina are among the clubs monitoring the Argentine, who has been without a club since his Galatasaray contract expired, should they sell Moise Kean to Como. Cesc Fabregas is pushing to land Kean, offering Champions League football and full trust in the striker.

Celtic's Transfer Calm Before LASK Clash

Back in Glasgow, Celtic manager Martin O'Neill does not anticipate any new arrivals before Wednesday's Champions League play-off first leg at home to LASK. Asked about adding to his squad before the late-night deadline on Tuesday, O'Neill said there was a "fairly decent chance of nothing happening".

Summer signings Camilo Duran and Kasper Hogh have made bright starts, with Mika Baur and Haissem Hassan also recently arrived. Arne Engels was sold to West Ham at the weekend, with O'Neill explaining that the club are "still in the process of finding a replacement" for the midfielder and admitting it will be "hard to replace his running power" against the Austrians.

Baur made his debut as a 59th-minute substitute in Sunday's 4-0 win at Dundee United, and O'Neill suggested the German will start since Alex Oxlaide-Chamberlain is suspended and Reo Hatate is yet to feature this season. "It would have been nice to have kept Arne for the couple of games, because he knows the players, knows his role in the team," said O'Neill. "But it's not to be. We'll have someone else in there. It might be Baur, I'm not sure yet. He's just getting to know the team."

Hatate, under contract until the summer of 2028, is another option in the middle of the pitch, but the Japanese midfielder is yet to feature for Celtic this season. O'Neill insisted he would be happy for Hatate to stay, but with the transfer window still open, speculation is likely to continue.

As the summer window enters its final days, clubs across Europe are scrambling to finalise deals. For the latest on all the transfer action, check out our latest football news and today's AI betting tips. For a deeper dive into the teams involved, explore our Premier League predictions and Serie A predictions.