Miralem Pjanic did not seem surprised that Juan Cuadrado joined Inter and that Juventus are in the running for Romelu Lukaku.
The Nerazzurri were working on a deal for the Belgian striker for the last few months but decided to give up after learning that he’d secretly been negotiating with the Bianconeri as well. Juventus are unable to make a deal for Lukaku until they sell Dusan Vlahovic.
In the meantime, Cuadrado left Juventus on a free transfer this month and joined up with Inter, penning a one-year deal with an option for a second.
Speaking on pages four and five of today’s Gazzetta dello Sport, Pjanic first discussed Juventus’ Scudetto hopes without the distraction of European competition.
“Let’s wait for the end of August. Italian clubs are not having an aggressive transfer window, first they need to sell. The Scudetto fight will be the same as usual, Naples, Juve, Inter, Milan. The Nerazzurri and Rossoneri are changing a lot. We will see…”
He was asked about his feelings regarding Cuadrado’s move to Inter and Lukaku’s links with Juventus.
“Nothing surprises me in football. Cuadrado was free after his contract with Juve expired and if he’s decided to go to Inter to continue playing at a high level, that must be respected.
“They are choices, but what Juan has given to Juve in his eight years in Turin shouldn’t be forgotten.”
He was also asked if Juventus’ possible acquisition of Lukaku would be reminiscent of the impact of Gonzalo Higuain’s arrival in 2016.
“It is not fair to compare them, they are different cases. Higuain was an extraordinary striker, he played for Real Madrid and in 2016 he scored 36 goals for Napoli, a crazy season.
“So much so that Juve paid the €90m clause for Pipita. Lukaku’s is a different situation, he’s back from a complicated year at Inter. And then Romelu is not at the Nerazzurri, but at Chelsea…”
Finally, Pjanic spoke about the idea of selling Vlahovic to buy the Belgian striker.
“If they think that right now it’s better to have a 9 with Lukaku’s characteristics in the group rather than Vlahovic, they’ll find the right solution for everyone.
“I like Dusan a lot. Vlahovic is young, but he has a lot of potential and he showed great things at Fiorentina.
“In Turin, where the shirt is heavier, he still has to find consistency. Lukaku has more international experience, he is a made player.”