Fabio Paratici confirms Luis Suarez is not an option for Juventus and Roma hitman Edin Dzeko is ‘not the only’ candidate to be their centre-forward.
The Bianconeri begin their campaign against Sampdoria at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
Click here for the line-ups and LIVEBLOG.
Fabio Paratici confirms Luis Suarez is not an option for Juventus and Roma hitman Edin Dzeko is ‘not the only’ candidate to be their centre-forward.
The Bianconeri begin their campaign against Sampdoria at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
Click here for the line-ups and LIVEBLOG.
Paratici was inevitably asked about the Dzeko issue, as he cannot be released for Juve until Arkadiusz Milik has completed his transfer from Napoli to Roma.
“Let’s say there isn’t a Dzeko situation, it’s a striker situation, as Juventus need a centre-forward. We know what we want and are working towards that calmly, there are 15 days to go in the transfer window and we’re in no rush.
“There are other situations, not just Dzeko. We know what we want. We’re working for a striker who can work with Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala.
“At this moment, we are seeking one striker, we have our objectives and will try to pursue them calmly, regardless of the names.”
Is it true that Barcelona forward Suarez is no longer an option for Juventus?
“Suarez can be removed from that list, because the time it takes to get the passport is longer than the transfer deadline or the moment we can hand in the Champions League lists.
“We evaluated the Suarez option when it was proposed to us. He was in the process of getting Italian citizenship, so we evaluated the possibility of registering him in time.
“It is not possible, so he was never really close.”
Luca Pellegrini is not even on the bench this evening amid reports of a loan move to Genoa.
“We have some talented young players who are important for the team, but also valuable assets for the club. We want to create the right path for them to reach Juve eventually and become regulars, so try to understand the best journey for their careers.
“I don’t just mean Pellegrini, but also others like Nicolussi-Caviglia and indeed also Marko Pjaca.”
Pjaca was on target today within minutes of his debut for Genoa.
“We are very pleased to see Marko Pjaca scoring today. He has a lot of quality and is a special player who had a lot of injuries, we have great faith that Genoa is the right place for him to get fit and show what he can do.”
This is the debut for coach Andrea Pirlo, who only got his coaching badges a few days ago and is thrown straight in at the deep end with a side seeking their 10th consecutive Scudetto.
“Pirlo is destined for greatness. He feels no pressure, always has clear ideas, so that is what I can say of the way he has started this career. He is a pleasant surprise and seems like he’s been coaching for years,” concluded Paratici.