Guest Blogger, OMR: Juve Set Sights On Diarra

La Gazzetta dello Sport have claimed Juve have switched their attention from Udinese’s Gaetano D'Agostino to Real Madrid holding midfielder Mahamadou Diarra. The 28-year-old is an international team-mate of current Juve midfielder Momo Sissoko and the pair could prove a deadly combination at club level.

Apparently D’Agostino’s price tag of 23million euros is a bit much for Juve to consider and they’ve switched their attention to Diarra, who would cost half the price at 12million euros. For me at least Diarra is the better of the two and especially in his time at Lyon he established himself as one of the best holding midfielders in the world.

Juve have already splashed out a massive fee on Diego this summer and despite the need for a defensive midfielder they also need to focus on other areas of the team. This is why at a cheaper price I would be inclined to say Diarra would be the better signing allowing more expensive fees to be paid for attacking players.

Former Real man Fabio Cannavaro reportedly ‘recommended him immediately’ to Juve when he got rejoined the Turin side following his three-year spell in Madrid and if anyone knows a good defensively minded player it surely has to be the ballon d’Or winning centre-half.

The only problem in any move for Diarra could be the player’s fitness. He injured his knee while on international duty in October and didn’t make a single appearance for Real for the rest of the season. It was in January that he was de-registered from Real’s first team and he lost his number six shirt to Lassana Diarra, the player who will now keep him out the Real side despite his recovery. However, this was his first major injury and hopefully he won’t suffer a similar problem now he has had an operation to solve it.

The media have reported that Diarra’s agent, Federico Guerra, is set to meet Real this week to discuss his client's situation.

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Buffon: "I Am Happy There Is So Much Juve With The Azzurri"

De Ceglie, Marchisio and Giovinco in the North, in Sweden. Buffon, Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Cannavaro, Camoranesi and Iaquinta on the other side in South Africa. Many are those who are keeping the name of Juventus alive even during this period between the two seasons. Between the Under 21 European Cup and the Confederations Cup the attention is high.

While in Italy Summer is behind the corner, Marcello Lippi’s is having to deal with temperatures far from being Summery. However, heat or cold do not seem to make any difference to the azzurri squad who are proceeding on their route. After having beaten the USA on their debut on Monday, it is already the eve of the second match, that on Thursday against Egypt.

Directly from South Africa Gigi Buffon commented about the situation through a message published on his official website www.gianluigibuffon.it.

In a national team full of bianconeri - five in the starting line-up against the USA and now even Cannavaro is ready to play – the number one continues to maintain the role of bulwark. "A national team full of bianconeri? Yes and I can’t but be happy about this. It is a sign that Juventus is doing well and this gives me hope for the future".

Before thinking of the future however, that is of that which awaits him and his mates as from July, there is the Confederations Cup to play for. Strong from the title of World Champions, the azzurri want to have their say.

"I am happy with the victory obtained on our debut against the USA. The American team is one that showed it can compete with the strongest teams and did not do badly against us either. No we are about to play against Egypt which deserves all our respect and not only for what it was capable of doing against Brazil".

"It is a team that plays well, is fast and has great individual skills. They are the African champions and there must be a reason for this. They will make us suffer but with the right compactness and the will to suffer which are typical of us we will manage to overcome them".

Compactness and a will to suffer have always been the characteristics of Marcello Lippi’s teams. The usual united group capable of facing and overcoming any difficulty and even a few attacks from the outside to which Buffon answered in this manner:

"We answered back to those who were not happy with this group. Our coach knows how to manage everything in the best of manners, launching youngsters at the right moment and this happened again this time. Three years after the victory of the world championships one could not and should not dismantle the team which was the protagonist of that feat".

"I am more then convinced that this group can give even more, now in the Confederations Cup and then in the next qualification matches for the world cup. This is why it deserves much respect and a bit more gratitude. Many have forgotten that if the Italian football movement has something to give it is mostly thanks to us".

Juventus.com

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Molinaro Awaits Further Tests

By tomorrow afternoon, Thursday 18th June, Cristian Molinaro will know the recovery period before his return on the field. A month and a half after the problem to the left renal region – caused by a post-traumatic haematoma which has begun to heal – and which forced him to stop and end the season before, the defender from Campania will undergo further tests.

Molinaro will interrupt his holidays for a short while and go to Turin where he will be visited by the Juventus medical staff and undergo an ultra-sound test as well as magnetic resonance imaging. After the tests it will be possible to opt for a different therapeutic orientation.

Juventus.com

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Sampdoria Chasing Juventus' Marco Marchionni - Report

According to cittadigenova.com, Sampdoria have placed Juventus winger Marco Marchioni on top of their shortlist of players they want to sign up this summer.

Marchionni is one of those players expected to leave the Bianconeri in the coming weeks, mainly due to the team's new tactical setup, which will not feature wingers, thus making the former Parma player useless.

Coach Ciro Ferrara is in fact expected to field a 4-3-1-2 formation for next year following the arrival of the talented attacking midfielder, Diego, from Werder Bremen.

On the other hand, Marchionni would be an important element in the Blucerchiati's squad, as their tactics require width in midfield.

If the Doriani fail to sign Marchionni, then their attention would go towards Torino's Ignazio Abate, as Bari's Stefano Guberti is heading towards Roma at this point.

Marchionni has been at Juventus since 2006, where he has played 63 league games.

Glenn Debattista, goal.com

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Napoli line up De Ceglie

Promising Juventus defender Paolo De Ceglie is on the verge of joining sleeping giants Napoli.

Reports in Italy on Wednesday morning suggest that the Under-21 international, who featured in last night’s 0-0 draw with Serbia at the European Championships, will move to the San Paolo.

Azzurri director general Pierpaolo Marino is understood to have met his Bianconeri counterparts last night to thrash out a deal.

De Ceglie, who was brought up through the Old Lady’s youth sector, will reportedly move on to the southern outfit in a co-ownership deal. Juventus will net around £4m for selling a 50 per cent share.

The youngster, still just 23, is an exciting left-sided player who can either play in defence or in a more advanced midfield role.

Having impressed on loan at Siena, De Ceglie was recalled to Turin last summer and offered competition for Cristian Molinaro in the campaign just finished.

Juventus’ decision to release the player intimates that the club are close to landing a new left full-back.

It’s widely understood that Liverpool’s Andrea Dossena and Fabio Grosso of Lyon are being targeted by sporting director Alessio Secco.

channel4.com/sport/football_italia

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Emmanuel Eboue Could Join Milan Or Juventus - Agent

Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Eboue could be tempted into making the switch to Serie A as his agent invites bids from AC Milan and Juventus.

The Ivory Coast international, 26, revealed he could leave the Gunners this summer due to a lack of first team action in an interview with France Football magazine on Tuesday.

"It would be hard but I think it would be harder to experience another season like this one.

"In any case, if I leave Arsenal it would be for another league because it is out of the question that I develop elsewhere in England," Eboue told the French magazine.

Eboue's comments have seen the rumour mill begin to turn, and his agent now admits a proposed move to Italy could be on the horizon.

"Arsenal has offered a new four year extension and it is a good deal, but he could leave on a free transfer," Franjo Vranjkovic told Calciomercato.it.

"However, the situation could change if the Milanese sides or Juventus come looking for us."

Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com

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