“Think twice before leaving” – Miralem Pjanic offers transfer advice to Barcelona linked duo
Miralem Pjanic has warned Juventus duo Alvaro Morata and Matthijs De Ligt against leaving the Bianconeri for Barcelona in the future. The duo have been linked with a move to the Catalan giants recently, with Morata reportedly close to sealing a switch during the ongoing transfer window.
The Spanish striker is currently on loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly looking to sign Morata on loan with an obligation to buy.
Pjanic, who joined Barcelona from Juventus in the summer of 2020, has advised Morata to carefully weigh up his options before moving back to Spain. He said:
"Morata has had an amazing career so far. He played for big clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Juventus. Sometimes players need motivation, but I would think twice before leaving a club where I feel well."
Pjanic added:
"Morata knows what to do, Barcelona hired Xavi, a coach who knows the club really well. I don’t know the details, but I’ve always heard that Morata was happy at Juventus even if when Barcelona call you always need to think about it."
Álvaro Morata will be a Barça player by the end of the week. The operation is done for 95%. Agreements with Juventus and Atlético Madrid have been reached. Xavi considers Morata as one of the best attackers in the world, valuing his versatility, work capacity and experience. [as] https://t.co/SYqM3hYcHb
The Bosnian midfielder's treatment at the Nou Camp by former manager Ronald Koeman was well-documented throughout the 2020-21 season. Pjanic was considered one of the best midfielders in the world when he came to Barcelona.
However, he was a bit-part player under Koeman and never got a fair shot at staking his claim for a place in the starting XI. Pjanic made just 30 appearances for the club, recording no goals or assists.
The midfielder is now on loan at Turkish club Besiktas and will most likely depart the Catalan club at the end of the season. Pjanic has played 17 times for the club this term, providing four assists.
"He made a great choice by deciding to join Juventus" - Pjanic on De Ligt not joining Barcelona in 2019
Matthijs De Ligt is another Juventus player who has long been linked with a move to Barcelona. The Dutch defender was reportedly close to joining the Spanish club from Ajax prior to his move to Italy back in 2019. Barcelona are now rumored to be reigniting their interest in the 22-year-old.
Pjanic believes the Dutchman made the right choice by joining Juventus, but would not be surprised if he leaves for Barcelona in the future. He said:
"De Ligt has three years left in his contract with Juventus, he has the right commitment, but I don’t know if Barcelona are interested. He made a great choice by deciding to join Juventus and work with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini."
Pjanic went on to add:
"He is happy at Juventus and when you are happy, it’s better not to leave. We’ll see if he will have the motivation to leave."
Signing De Ligt will be much more complicated for Barcelona due to their financial situation.
#FCBBarcelona have approached Juventus for Álvaro Morata, as per @diarioas - but talks are not yet in advanced stages. Deal said to be ‘complicated’. 🇪🇸 #FCB
Juventus are not considering Depay as part of swap deal, as things stand. Dembélé and de Ligt are not involved in this story.