Liverpool youngster Calum Scanlon is close to returning to Cardiff City on loan for the 2026/27 season, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.

The Reds are looking to find regular first-team football for a number of their young players after they impressed on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, and Scanlon is one of those players.

The 21-year-old left-back featured in three games against Wrexham, Sunderland, and Leeds United, racking up around 90 minutes of football combined, and giving a good account of himself in the process.

Liverpool are now looking to get him more regular football ahead of the new season, and a deal is close to being agreed for him to return to Wales.

Scanlon joined Cardiff on loan for the 2025/26 season on February 1st and featured eight times for the club as they were promoted from League One back up to the Championship at the first attempt.

The defender previously had a spell on loan at Millwall but suffered a serious hamstring injury which kept him out of action for 11 months, but he is now fully fit and pushing to make an impression.

Scanlon has previously made two appearances for the Liverpool first team, featuring twice in the Europa League in 2023 under Jurgen Klopp, and he will be hopeful that a strong run with Cardiff this season could earn him another opportunity at Anfield under Andoni Iraola.

Scanlon Highly-Rated

Reuters

At just 21, it shows how highly-rated the young defender was that he was getting first-team opportunities under Klopp in European competition back in 2023.

Injuries have hugely hampered his development since then, but during his time at Millwall he was praised hugely by then-manager Alex Neil, who described him ‘the type of player you want at the club’.

“I thought he was excellent. He’s athletic, he’s technical, he can handle the ball.

“The game, probably at the start, was a little bit quick for him, in terms of getting his head up and maybe feeding a couple down the side. But there is loads and loads to work with.

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Serie A giants Napoli for Benoit Badiashile to leave on loan with an option to buy, GIVEMESPORT understands.

The Blues have had a busy summer for new manager Xabi Alonso, with all of Marco Palestra, Morgan Rogers, Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda, Valentin Barco, Pep Chavarria, Danny Welbeck, Jordan Henderson, and Emmanuel Emegha joining, while Alejandro Garnacho, Andrey Santos, Marc Cucurella, Trevoh Chalobah, Tyrique George, and Filip Jorgensen have departed.

Alonso has admitted that he would like a 25-man squad for the upcoming season, with Chelsea having failed to qualify for Europe, and that means several more departures are expected, with another now agreed.

Badiashile joined Chelsea from Monaco back in January 2023 in a deal worth around £32.7m, but has struggled to establish himself as a first-team regular at Stamford Bridge.

Since arriving, the two-time France international has made just 71 appearances in three-and-a-half seasons, including just 16 in all competitions in 2025/26, having initially found himself sidelined by former boss Enzo Maresca.

Now, GIVEMESPORT sources understand that Napoli have agreed to pay a loan fee of €3m (£2.5m) plus a further €1m (£855,000) in bonuses, to take the 25-year-old on loan for the season, and they will have an option to make the move permanent for €27m (£23m) next summer. Badiashile has a contract at Chelsea that runs until 2030.

Chelsea have already added Lacroix to their centre-back options, and with Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, Mamadou Sarr, Axel Disasi, Josh Acheampong, Aaron Anselmino, and Tosin Adarabioyo all still in the squad, Badiashile’s chances of playing were very limited.

Napoli are looking to strengthen their squad after losing the Serie A title last season, with new manager Max Allegri identifying the centre of defence as an area to bolster.

Badiashile Chelsea Career in Numbers

When Badiashile arrived at Chelsea he was widely considered to be one of the top young defenders in Europe, but his development has stalled at Stamford Bridge after struggling to play regularly.

In 71 appearances for the club since his joining, Badiashile has racked up just 5409 minutes of action, scoring twice and registering one assist. That includes just 13 appearances in the Premier League over the last two seasons.

Badiashile will now get the opportunity to resurrect his career in Italy, while Chelsea are able to trim to their squad and begin to work on other deals in the final weeks of the window.

Italy’s Serie A is one of the best competitive footballing leagues to watch in the world. One of Europe’s big five, alongside the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1, Serie A has always seemed to have more parity within the division than its competitors.

Theoretically, any one of AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Lazio, Roma or Napoli could push for the title ahead of a season. There are so few leagues, particularly within the bracket of elite football, that can offer such open competition. More often than not, there are two-to-four teams that hold a clear advantage over the rest.

In a league brimming with competition and talent, just which 20 players in Serie A are on the highest salaries per week?

20th-16th

John Stones, Federico Dimarco, Donyell Malen, Goncalo Ramos, Marcus Thuram

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

All four players ranked 20th-17th on the highest-paid players list in Serie A receive the same weekly salary, according to Capology. Inter Milan‘s newest signing, John Stones, who arrived as a free agent after leaving Manchester City, has been handed an £121,707 per week contract, earning the same as new teammate Federico Dimarco, who has been with the Nerazzurri since 2018.

Dutch forward Donyell Malen joined AS Roma from Aston Villa in January, and he’s on the same salary. As is AC Milan’s summer signing Goncalo Ramos, who has become Ruben Amorim‘s new number nine.

Inter frontman Marcus Thuram earns marginally more than those four, with the Frenchman reportedly on £126,306 a week. The Frenchman’s current deal runs until 2028, and the San Siro giants have a decision to make regarding an extension.

15th-11th

Douglas Luiz, Piotr Zielinski, Alvaro Morata, Adrien Rabiot, Christopher Nkunku

Italian football’s chiefs seem keen to align their players’ salaries, as another trio all earn £136,818 per week. That includes Douglas Luiz, who has endured a frustrating spell since joining Juventus from Aston Villa and spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Piotr Zielinski joins Luiz on the same amount, and the midfielder is one of the longest-serving players in Serie A. He became the first Polish player in Inter’s history when he joined back in 2024 after leaving rivals Napoli.

Another one of Italy’s journeymen, Alvaro Morata, is the third player earning this weekly wage, and the Spanish striker is currently at Cesc Fàbregas’ Como. Just ahead of them on £152,093 is Adrien Rabiot, who has been one of the most underrated midfielders in European football and is earning plaudits at Milan.

The Frenchman’s teammate Christopher Nkunku has been earning the same since joining the Rossoneri from Chelsea in August 2025. He has struggled to bounce back from his Stamford Bridge struggles since heading to the San Siro.

10th-6th

Rasmus Hojlund, Bremer, Alessandro Bastoni, Randal Kolo Muani, Kenan Yildiz

The first to crack the top 10 of highest-paid Serie A players is former Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund. Although the Dane only joined Napoli last year, penning a contract worth £152,093 per week, he is no stranger to Italian football, having caught the eye at Atalanta before his Old Trafford nightmare.

Juve defender Bremer is on the same amount, while Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni is sitting on £167,368. Both are viewed as the best centre-backs in Italian football and are the highest-paid defenders on this list.

Randal Kolo Muani got his desired return to the Old Lady earlier this summer after a rather forgetful loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur. The French forward is paid as much as Bastoni but sits behind two teammates on the Turin club’s wage bill.

One of the most exciting prospects in Serie A is Kenan Yildiz and the Turkish winger earned a bumper contract in February. The attacking gem is now earning £182,479 per week, rewarded for stellar displays at the Allianz Stadium.

5th-1st

Jonathan David, Hakan Calhanoglu, Kevin De Bruyne, Nico Barella, Lautaro Martinez

Three more players earn as much as Yildiz, including Juve striker Jonathan David, who has a fight on his hands to keep his starting berth following Kolo Muani’s arrival. The Canadian is earning the same weekly pay as Inter stalwart Hakan Calhanoglu, who controversially has played for both Milan rivals.

Kevin De Bruyne takes third spot due to bonuses in his contract, but he’s not earning as much at Napoli as he did at Manchester City. The Belgian midfield maestro is entering the twilight years of his career in Naples.

Another of Serie A’s playmakers, Nicolo Barella, is the second-highest-paid player, earning £197,754 per week at the San Siro. He’s been with the Nerazzurri since 2020 and is a three-time Scudetto winner, cementing his legacy as an Inter legend.

legend.

Ahead of Barella, however, is club captain Lautaro Martinez, who, on £273,800 per week, is the only player in the league earning over £200,000. He has taken Dusan Vlahovic’s place at the top of the list after the Serbian left Juventus and talk of a potential exit has been constantly put to bed with increased wages for the two-time Serie A Golden Boot winner.