EXCLUSIVE
By Romeo Agresti
Manchester United star Nani will have to wait until the summer to seal a potential move to Juventus with the Italian giants prioritising the signing of a striker in January.
Goal.com revealed last week that the Italian champions had joined their Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter in the race to sign the out-of-favour Portuguese winger.
But, after sounding out the player through third parties, the Old Lady are set to cool their interest in the 25-year-old, who is in no rush to agree fresh terms and extend his current contract which expires at the end of next season, and make a renewed attempt to sign him at the end of the current season.
Nani, who joined United for €25.5 million from Sporting Lisbon back in 2007, has amassed over 200 appearances for the club but has struggled to make an impression in the first team this season following the arrivals of Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie.
The Portugal international, who featured as a substitute in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Braga in the Champions League, appears destined to leave Old Trafford but is unlikely to do so when the transfer window reopens in January.
Juventus have enjoyed an encouraging start to their domestic title defence – they currently head Serie A by three points from Napoli following a 2-0 win over Walter Mazzarri’s side last weekend – but are precariously placed in the Champions League after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Danish minnows Nordsjaelland on Tuesday.
The Old Lady are concerned that a lack of firepower could hinder their pursuit of silverware this season – veteran midfielder Andrew Pirlo is their current joint leading goalscorer this term, while summer loan signing Nicklas Bendnter is yet to open his account – and will therefore shelve plans to tempt Nani to Turin until the summer and instead press ahead with their pursuit of Atletico Bilbao centre forward Fernando Llorente.