AC Milan have reportedly joined fellow Serie A giants Juventus in the race to sign Barcelona misfit Miralem Pjanic in a late move this summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet El Gol Digital, Barcelona are getting increasingly desperate to offload Miralem Pjanic before the summer transfer window slams shut. The Bosnian midfielder is wanted by Serie A heavyweights Juventus and AC Milan, with the Catalan outfit looking to sign Mauro Arambarri in his stead.
Miralem Pjanic joined Barcelona from Juventus last summer in a part-exchange deal that saw Arthur head the other way. So far, though, the move has not panned out as envisioned for any of the four parties involved in the deal. Arthur has failed to make any sort of impression in Turin while Pjanic barely features for the Blaugrana.
To date, the 31-year-old has made just 30 appearances for Barcelona, with most of the outings coming off the bench for him. And for quite some time now, it has been mooted that the Bosnian international could be on his way out of Camp Nou after just one season as Barcelona look to not only cut their losses on him but also balance their books.
At the same time, Barcelona are looking to bolster their midfield this summer, with Mauro Arambarri emerging as the latest target for the Blaugrana. However, they cannot do so unless they manage to offload Pjanic. The 31-year-old, though, does not have any shortage of suitors, with AC Milan and Juventus vying for his signature.
Juventus have already beefed up their midfield unit by signing Manuel Locatelli this week. However, with the likes of Arthur and Aaron Ramsey failing to impress and Weston McKennie being linked with a possible summer exit, it is not hard to see why the Serie A giants would want to re-sign Pjanic, who has previously been a Massimiliano Allegri favourite.
AC Milan, on the other hand, are in the transfer market for a midfielder after choosing not to sign Soualiho Meite on a permanent deal. At the same time, there is uncertainty surrounding the future of Franck Kessie amid a contract standoff with the Rossoneri. As a result, Pjanic is a viable target for Milan, with his presence likely to aid the progress of Sandro Tonali as well.
What now remains to be seen is if either of the Serie A heavyweights end up making their move for Pjanic, thereby helping Barcelona amid their financial woes. For now, both Juventus and AC Milan seem to be keen on signing the 31-year-old Barcelona misfit and it will be interesting to see if his future clears up in the coming weeks.
