Transfer Rumour: Juventus looking to tempt Andres Iniesta to quit Barcelona
The senior management at Juventus have set their eyes on Barcelona’s midfield maestro, Andres Iniesta. According to Spanish newspaper AS, Juventus are eyeing a move for him in 2018 when the Spaniard’s contract runs out at the Nou Camp.
Having lost Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal over the past few seasons, Juventus want to reinforce their strength in midfield again. And Iniesta, despite his age, is seen by the Bianconeri as the perfect player to fit into Massimiliano Allegri’s plans. While the likes of Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic are performing well for the Old Lady, Iniesta will bring a vast amount of experience, skill and vision to the table.
Contract talks could stall at the Nou Camp
The hierarchy at the Catalan club want to tie up a new deal for the Spaniard, whose current deal expires in 2018, like teammate Lionel Messi. Iniesta, who has been a one-man club so far, is also rumoured to prefer to stay at Barcelona as long as they maintain his current salary. But Barcelona face economic constraints, having recently renewed deals for Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
Also Read: Barcelona will make Lionel Messi the highest paid player in the world, says president Josep Bartomeu
With a huge new deal in line for Messi, the wage bill seems to be spiralling out of control and hence a contract renewal for Iniesta may be a trickier prospect than one would think. The Spanish midfielder, despite his age, feels his performances make him worthy of the salary he is currently getting as part of his new deal.
Juventus are looking to be opportunistic in this whole situation and will look to convince Iniesta to join his former teammate Dani Alves in Italy.
Juventus looking to do smart business
When Andrea Pirlo’s deal ran out at his former long-time club A.C. Milan, who deemed his best days to be over, Juventus immediately swooped in for the deep-lying playmaker, and it turned out to be a great deal for them.
Pirlo played an instrumental role in a Juventus side that went on to win 4 consecutive league titles, proving that age is just a number. Sami Khedira and Dani Alves were also signed for free from Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
It is a model of business that seems to work well for the Italian champions and a Pirlo-like impact is exactly what Juventus want from the Iniesta deal. His recent performances have shown nothing to indicate that his star is fading, apart from a few injuries. While Barcelona have signed Andre Gomes as a long-term replacement for Iniesta, the Portuguese midfielder hasn’t yet shown that he can step into the big shoes of the Spanish midfielder.