Juventus managing director Giuseppe Marotta has admitted that star midfielder Arturo Vidal could choose to leave the club for Manchester United.
The Italian was quizzed on the subject by a host of foreign reporters at a press conference this afternoon, when he unveiled Massimiliano Allegri as the club’s new manager.
Predecessor Antonio Conte quit last night, just hours after holding crisis talks with the Turin giants’ hierarchy about the future of Chile international Vidal.
And while Marotta hopes to keep him beyond the summer, he failed to categorically dismiss growing speculation that the Red Devils will land him in the coming weeks.
He said: “Vidal is a Juventus player and we did not ever put him up for sale.
“We have never sat down at a table to deal with it. Having said that, from experience, I say that it is often a player who decides his own future.
“He has repeatedly expressed his happiness to stay in Turin and if this is confirmed we will happily continue together.”
Juventus fear United’s £750million sponsorship deal with Adidas puts them on course to lure the 27-year-old to England during the summer transfer window.
The mega-money deal has not gone unnoticed in the corridors of power at Juve, who are beginning to accept the fact that they could see one of their star men head to Old Trafford.
A source close to United told Football Express News there is a growing confidence that they will get their man for somewhere between £35m and £47m when he returns from a short family holiday.
Vidal has three years remaining on his current contract.
