Juve set sights on Gunner Vieira
Juventus have admitted that they want to sign Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. The Italian champions have rejected a £30m approach from Chelsea for striker David Trezeguet, 27, and are instead intent on strengthening their squad.
To that end, Juve managing director Luciano Moggi has identified Vieira, 29, as a potential summer target.
"What we want is a midfield partner for Emerson - and our wish is to buy Vieira if Arsenal are willing to sell," Moggi is quoted as saying in The Sun.
"Obviously, they will not let him go cheaply as he is a magnificent, winning midfielder but if Arsenal are willing to do business, we'd buy him tomorrow."
Chelsea turned to Trezeguet - Juve's third-choice frontman behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero - after failing to lure Samuel Eto'o or Andrei Shevchenko from Barcelona and AC Milan respectively.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho continued his search after both Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman failed to impress last season, despite Chelsea's Premiership title triumph.
But Moggi dismissed the approach out of hand.
If he wants to go this would be the right time for him and the club, we are awash with good midfielders
"They made a formal offer for Trezeguet but none of our 'champion' players is for sale," he said.
As Juventus claimed they had rejected an approach from Chelsea for Trezeguet, Mourinho was admitting it was becoming more difficult to sign top stars, even with Roman Abramovich's financial firepower.
He told Portuguese children's programme Morangos com Acucar (Strawberries with Sugar): "It is very difficult for Chelsea to sign players because the team is already good and great clubs want to keep their best players.
"In the last three years, I said I was going to win the league and I didn't miss and probably there are a lot of people who are waiting for that moment. But I suspect I will win it again next year."