Marchisio dismisses Man United rumours
Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has admitted that despite being flattered by apparent interest from Manchester United, he will not let his head get turned by the attentions of other clubs.
The hard-tackling 25-year-old has been the subject of media attention after word spread that Sir Alex Ferguson was looking to bring him to Old Trafford.
Marchisio is thought to be an ideal long-term replacement for the Red Devils' stalwart Paul Scholes, who is coming to the end of his illustrious career.
Along with this, Juventus are also expected to offload plenty of their squad in the summer months as a complete overhaul is planned during the transfer window – therefore paving the way for Marchisio to leave the Old Lady.
Marchisio – nicknamed “Little Prince" – told Gazzetta dello Sport: “It’s nice because they [Manchester United] are a great team but I am a Juve player and I can’t think of anything better than to finish the season wearing this jersey.
“I hope to continue here for as long as possible.”
Despite being keen to remain in Turin, he admitted he expects the club to make alterations to the squad at the end of the season.
“It’s normal [to talk about change],” the playmaker said. “Even if you win the championship something has to change from season to season to be more competitive.
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“It’s important that Juve get reinforcements."
The Juventus No.8 has made 105 appearances for the Old Lady, scoring a modest 10 goals in the process.
A string of impressive performances also earned the Italian a call-up to the national first-team squad in 2009 and he has since gained 11 caps.
By Elliott Binks
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.