Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has this evening revealed that the Citizens have no intention of making a move for Juventus star Miralem Pjanic this summer.
World-class
Pjanic, a 28-year-old Bosnian international, made the move to Turin from fellow Serie A outfit AS Roma in the summer of 2016 for a fee of 32 million Euro.
And the Metz youth product has since gone on to play a starring role for the Bianconeri, having been transformed into a deep-lying ‘regista’ by Juve boss Max Allegri after spending much of his stint with Roma playing in a more advanced position.
Pjanic’s absence is sorely felt when the former Lyon man is missing from the Old Lady’s midfield, with the tempo and flow of the Serie A champions’ attacks heavily dependent on the Bosnian’s calm demeanour in possession and splendid range of passing.
The 79-time capped international is also widely regarded as one of the finest set-piece specialists on the planet, a key aspect in Pjanic’s 7 goals and 14 assists across all competitions this past season.
BENEVENTO, ITALY – APRIL 07: Miralem Pjanic of Juventus in action during the serie A match between Benevento Calcio and Juventus at Stadio Ciro Vigorito on April 7, 2018 in Benevento, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
In-demand
Reports stemming from both Spain and France last month claimed that Pjanic’s form in Turin had caught the eye of both Barcelona and Real Madrid, with the former rumoured to be particularly keen following Andres Iniesta’s departure for Japan.
However, the last couple of weeks have seen Italian outlets claim that the most intense interest in Pjanic’s services in fact stems from the Premier League, with Chelsea and Manchester City named as potential destinations.
And, with the former having since poached Napoli standout Jorginho from under the nose of City, the Citizens have subsequently been labelled as the most likely landing spot for Pjanic.
‘Not interested’
But, despite claims that the Premier League champions were even considering a massive 100 million Euro offer for the Juve metronome, Pep Guardiola has this evening moved to categorically rule out a City bid, explaining to reporters:
‘No, Pjanic is a player of Juventus in Turin.’
‘We are not interested in Pjanic. Saying that, he is a top player but we are not interested.’
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