All smiles: Aquilani (centre) wants to stay in
Turin, but Juventus are baulking at the £14m asking price
On-loan Liverpool
midfielder Alberto Aquilani has expressed his desire to remain at
Juventus long term - even though Reds manager Kenny Dalglish
suggested he could stay on at Anfield.
The 26-year-old lasted just
one injury-troubled season on Merseyside after his £20million move
from Roma.
He started to show glimpses of
his true form towards the end of the 2009-10 campaign but the
departure of Rafael Benitez, the man who brought him to England,
effectively sealed his fate.
Tough spell: Aquilani struggled during his time on
Anfield
Benitez's successor
Roy Hodgson ushered the Italy international out on loan after just
two pre-season friendlies and a couple of substitute appearances in
a Europa League qualifier.
Dalglish, however, is an
admirer of the midfielder's talents and said: 'He could be coming
back to play for Liverpool. He could be a valuable asset here next
season.'
Aquilani though seems intent
on remaining in his homeland, although with Juventus apparently
unwilling to pay the £14million fee agreed at the outset of his
loan deal, his future remains unclear.
'My situation is simple. It
all depends on Juventus - if they want to, (they can) buy me
without asking anyone's opinion,' Aquilani told Gazzetta dello
Sport.
'I would like to stay in Turin
for a long time and win a lot. 'I want to be a protagonist in the
new winning cycle that is opening up at Juventus.
'I have no doubt that Juve's
project is a winner, they just need a little patience.'
Aquilani also feels, after 29
Serie A appearances for Juventus, that he has finally shaken off
his injury-prone reputation.
'I played with great
continuity, without any particular problems,' he added. 'I finally
removed the tag of me always being injured. I knew I was healthy,
that I was just unlucky in the past, but in football people just
want to label someone.'