Manchester United boss is planning a swoop to sign Juventus keeper Gianluigi
Buffon but will wait until next sumemr before sealing the deal. The
Italian international has admitted to being unhappy at the Turin
club after they suffered a horrible season last term and failed to
secure a Champions League berth. The 32 year old keeper will
apparently look to leave the Serie A giants next summer if they
failed to mount a serious title challenge.
New Juve boss Luigi Delneri has been given a big transfer pot
and has invested in new signings such as Milos Krasic, Jorge
Martinez and Leonardo Bonucci and has spent over £45m in the hope
of making the Old Lady of Italian football a genuine threat to the
dominance of Inter Milan.
Should Delneri fail to reverse the club’s downward slide then
Buffon will be more than ready to leave the club he has represented
for nine years. Sir Alex Ferguson has earmarked
the vastly experienced keeper as a replacement for Edwin Van der
Sar but doesn’t feel the urgent need to replace the Dutchman until
the end of the season when the 39 year old may well hang up his
gloves.
Juventus wanted Buffon to sign
a long term extension to his existing contract but he only agreed
to a one year deal on top of the one he currently held, this was an
indication as to his unhappiness with the way the side had slipped
from runners up to a very poor seventh place finish last term.
A move for the former Parma man would not be cheap with some
estimating his value at around £15m however given the success
Buffon has achieved that may well be a reasonable fee for a ready
made able replacement for the current Old Trafford number one.
Buffon has achieved a great deal in his career, helping his
nation to a World Cup triumph as well four Serie A titles, however
he is still searching for his first Champions League winners medal
and will quit Juventus in the summer if they fail to show signs of
a recovery, which is when Ferguson will pounce.