Juventus have given Liverpool manager Rafael
Benitez a ten-day deadline to decide if he wants
to take charge of the Serie A giants next season.
Benitez's agent, Manuel Garcia Quilon, dismissed reports that he
met with Juve president Jean-Claude Blanc in Milan on Monday, but
his client remains top of the Bianconeri's wanted list.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Juventus remain "90%"
confident of landing their man and widespread reports on Wednesday
claim that a meeting between the two parties did take place.
Liverpool, currently lying in sixth place in the Premier League,
are likely to miss out on Champions League football following a
hugely disappointing season and are not expected to fight off any
approach for Benitez.
Juventus have endured a similarly poor season and are under the
stewardship of their second manager this year since sacking Claudio
Ranieri, now leading Serie A with AS Roma, in May.
Alberto Zaccheroni replaced Ciro Ferrara in Turin and will guide
the club through to the end of the season, but not beyond. Whoever
replaces Zaccheroni could be handed transfer funds of around £70
million.
Such a transfer budget may prove hugely alluring to Benitez, who
has consistently complained about not having enough money to spend
at Anfield.
"We have been wheeling and dealing for six years but, if we
continue to do that, it will be very difficult to stay at the level
everyone is expecting," Benitez reiterated last week.
Meanwhile, Spanish daily Marca have been tipping
Benitez to take over at Real Madrid for next season and the
Liverpool boss was voted the favourite to succeed Manuel
Pellegrini in a poll by the newspaper .
