EXCLUSIVE
By Romeo Agresti
Fernando Llorente could be on his way out of Athletic Bilbao in the January transfer window as Juventus are ready to make a €7 million offer for the powerful attacker, Goal.com can reveal.
The Serie A champions already attempted to lure the Spain international to Turin in the summer transfer window, but Athletic refused to let go of the 27-year-old earlier this year.
The Bianconeri are hopeful that the Basque side are willing to cash in on Llorente now, though, as the striker remains reluctant to sign a new deal, and could leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Llorente has mainly been warming the bench at San Mames ever since he announced his desire to leave at the end of the 2012-13 campaign, and he is desperate to leave sooner rather than later in order to get his career back on track.
The potential arrival of Llorente at Juventus Stadium effectively means the end of Alessandro Matri or Nicklas Bendtner’s spell with the Old Lady.
Juve are ready to part company with one of the two once they have secured the services of a new striker, and general director Giuseppe Marotta has scheduled meetings with the agents of both players next week to discuss their future at the club.