Napoli’s cash-crunched transfer market journey so far has seen them cut some slack, although coach Luciano Spalletti is perfectly fine with the squad remaining just as it is. However, Spalletti has reportedly made a surprise contact to a certain Juventus target who is currently an outcast at Barcelona – according to Il Corriere dello Sport.
Miralem Pjanic has long been linked with a return back to Juventus but his high wages have deterred his move. Spalletti is said to be a fan of the Bosnian midfielder, who he trained during their days together at AS Roma.
The report mentions that Spalletti has made contact with him regarding a potential move to Naples to continue his playing career, which has taken a huge hit since his Barcelona move.
The 31-year-old has a wage bill of €6.5m with the Blaugrana and his contract with the club is valid until June 2024. The Partenopei will need to shell out in the region of €20m – one-third of what Barcelona paid to Juventus – to lure him from Barcelona and it remains to be seen how club president Aurelio De Laurentiis will react to the situation.
Juventus on the other hand look to be stalling to make a move for Pjanic. They will possibly step forward only when one of their player departs – with either Aaron Ramsey and Weston McKennie, or both, being linked to a departure.