Napoli interested in signing Juventus target Miralem Pjanic from Barcelona - Reports
Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti is reportedly interested in signing Miralem Pjanic from Barcelona despite interest from Juventus in the midfielder.
According to a report by Il Corriere dello Sport, Spalletti has spoken with the Bosnia and Herzegovina international about the possibility of a move to Naples.
Pjanic's career has taken a huge nosedive since he joined Barcelona from Juventus and made just six league starts in his debut season with the Camp Nou outfit.
Ronald Koeman reportedly does not have the 31-year-old in his plans and has him among the players on the transfer list.
Reports have linked Pjanic with a return to Serie A, with AS Roma and Juventus said to be interested in his services. Napoli have also now entered the fray and a move could be made before the end of the transfer window.
A return to Juventus is mooted as the most likely outcome. However, any potential move for the former Lyon man would entail the Turin giants offloading some midfielders like Aaron Ramsey and Weston McKennie.
Pjanic began his professional career in France where he represented Metz and Lyon before moving to Serie A with AS Roma. A five-year spell at the Stadio Olimpico convinced Juventus to sanction his purchase in 2016.
The 31-year-old blossomed with the Bianconeri and made 178 appearances in all competitions, scoring 22 goals and providing 44 assists.
He won seven major trophies in Turin, including the Serie A title every season he spent at the club.
A transfer to Barcelona was completed in the summer of 2020, with Arthur Melo going the other way.
The move has, however, not worked out for either player and they each struggled to make an impact in their first seasons at their respective clubs.
Juventus target Pjanic one of several players on Barcelona's transfer wishlist
Barcelona's current dire financial straits mean that raising funds ranks highly on the club's to-do list and the sale of players is one of their priorities this summer.
The club have just a week to find buyers for fringe players, but it has been difficult to get buyers owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miralem Pjanic is among the players who have been put on the transfer wishlist, with others like Samuel Umtiti and Philippe Coutinho also reportedly listed.
It remains to be seen whether Juventus or any of the other Serie A clubs will intensify their efforts to sign Pjanic but it is unlikely that he will play a key role at Barcelona this season.
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