Juventus director general Beppe Marotta has described the possibility of signing Robin van Persie as a “dream” but suggested that the Bianconeri would be unwilling to pay an astronomical fee for him.
Van Persie revealed two weeks ago that he would not be signing a new contract with Arsenal and it is believed the Gunners will attempt to cash-in on their captain rather than let him leave North London on a free transfer when his current deal expires next summer.
Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus have all been strongly tipped to make a move for the Netherlands striker, who scored 37 goals in 48 games last season, and it is Turin that is widely reported to be his favoured destination.
But while Marotta admits signing Van Persie would be a major coup for the Serie A champions, he insists the club will be realistic in their negotiations.
“It’s necessary to always have dreams and ambitions, but at the same time you also have to contend with the reality of everyday facts,” Marotta said when asked about Van Persie at a Lega Calcio meeting.
“We’re relaxed and we know what we have to do. This is the most important thing.”
Marotta also ruled out the possibility of shelling out €30 million on Fiorentina star Stefan Jovetic, saying:
“It’s an unmanageable figure. We’re not even going to discuss it right now.
“Everyone is free to set the price they want. It’s a legitimate right. But we haven’t opened negotiations with Fiorentina.”
Marotta has backed himself into a corner this summer by telling fans that Juve will sign a top striker this summer. The issue that Juve face is the cost to sign one of these. Van Persie for example would cost 25 million euros and another 10 million a year in wages. So around 65 million euros over four years for a player who has a horrible injury record.
Can Juve find a cheaper alternative that will keep the Juve fans happy or will they feel that they are forced to overpay for someone?
