Juventus confirm transfer stance on major Premier League target

Juventus manager Thiago Motta has confirmed the club are trying to engineer a summer exit for Italy winger Federico Chiesa.

The Euro 2020 star was left out of the Bianconeri squad for Saturday night's pre-season friendly draw with Brest, where goals from Dusan Vlahovic and Gleison Bremer secured a 2-2 tie.

Chiesa now appears set to be a casualty of a brutal clear-out by new manager Motta, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri after Juve finished third in Serie A, and the former midfielder has admitted he was left out on Saturday as they want to find buyers.

He said: "Chiesa is out for transfer reasons, the same as the others who were left behind, other than Fabio Miretti who is injured.

"We have been very clear with them. They are talented, but must find other options where they will get more playing time. For Chiesa and the others, the decision has been made."

Weston McKennie, Wojciech Szczesny, Arkadiusz Milik, Arthur Melo, Mattia De Sciglio, Daniele Rugani, Filip Kostic and Hans Nicolussi-Caviglia were also left out and are thought to be up for sale during the transfer window.

Juve were pushing to agree a new contract with Chiesa late last year but no deal could be reached, meaning he would leave as a free agent next year if a team doesn't come calling over the next month or so. He has been linked with a number of Premier League sides, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, while Italian outfits Roma and Napoli have also been mooted as potential landing destinations.

Chiesa enjoyed a wonderful Euro 2020 campaign, playing a major role in Italy's success at Wembley, though a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury a few months later hampered his development.

However, the 26-year-old enjoyed his best goalscoring season in Serie A during 2023/24, registering nine strikes in 33 appearances.

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