Juventus have stepped up their efforts to bag Barcelona attacker Alexis Sanchez, according to reports in the Italian media.
Tuttosport claims the Chile international is a top transfer target for Juve head coach Antonio Conte, who plans to make contact with the player’s representatives despite his involvement in the World Cup.
Sanchez’s participation in the eagerly-anticipated tournament in Brazil could hold up any potential move away from the Nou Camp, even if he expresses a desire to make a switch to the Serie A champions.
The 25-year-old scored 19 goals in 44 appearances for the Catalan giants during the 2013-14 campaign, in which they finished second in the La Liga table behind Atletico Madrid.
He also netted twice for Chile in a 2-0 victory over England at Wembley in November.
Sanchez has two years remaining on his contract with Barca, leading Juve to believe they could land him for a relatively modest price unless an extension to his current deal is thrashed out in the coming weeks.
Conte is keen to strengthen his squad despite guiding the Turin heavyweights to the successful defence of their domestic title.
The Juve boss is determined to launch an assault on next season’s Champions League and believes Sanchez is the man to not only add to their goalscoring tally but also provide chances for the likes of strikers Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.