Massimiliano Allegri has warned Paul Pogba and Leonardo Bonucci against leaving Juventus, as the Bianconeri are one the brink of becoming a top European team once again.
Pogba has been the talk of the summer, with Manchester United tipped as the favourites to land the Juventus midfielder, while Manchester City are said to be in the pole position to land defender Bonucci.
However, Juventus boss Max Allegri said he is not too concerned about these exit rumours. He even went on to state that Juventus are on the verge of becoming one of the top teams in Europe once again, which is why deserting the Old Lady at this juncture may not be such a smart move.
“Anyone who has the opportunity to leave Juventus has to consider things very carefully, because right now Juve are among the top four European clubs,” Allegri was quoted as saying in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport [via Goal.com]. “This is not a selling club that just lets its players go. Pogba belongs to Juve and at the end of the day he too will want[s] to win another Scudetto and hopefully the Champions League.”
Juventus have strengthened their squad over the summer, signing some big names like Dani Alves from Barcelona, Miralem Pjanic from AS Roma, and Medhi Benatia from Bayern Munich.
“We have grown in terms of appeal and awareness of our own capabilities. So far our market this summer has been eight out of 10, bringing in players of international pedigree like Medhi Benatia, Dani Alves and Miralem Pjanic,” said Allegri.
Paul Pogba is said to be very close to joining Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, as the Red Devils have reportedly agreed to pay Juventus’ asking price of £100 million for the Frenchman. Real Madrid have also been in the hunt to sign the 23-year-old this summer, as their manager Zinedine Zidane is said to be a huge fan of Pogba. However, Los Blancos reportedly do not want to pay more than £60 million for Pogba, as their president Florentino Perez is not too convinced about the Frenchman’s abilities. This puts Manchester United in the driver’s seat, with regards to landing Pogba’s signature.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci has been pursued by Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester City during the summer. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has already worked with the 29-year-old at Juvneuts and Italy national team, and reportedly wants him at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are even said to have agreed terms with Bonucci’s representatives.
However, Chelsea cannot offer Bonucci Champions League action in the upcoming season, which could have scuppered the deal. Meanwhile, Manchester City are said to be ready to shell out £50 million for Bonucci, with Sky Blues manager Pep Guardiola being a great admirer of the Italy international.