Marotta: 'Juve in Howedes talks'

By Football Italia staff

Juventus director Beppe Marotta commented on the Champions League draw, denied an Andre Gomes bid, but Benedikt Howedes is “more than a hypothesis.”

The Bianconeri have been drawn with Barcelona, Olympiakos and Sporting CP.

“Every group has its dangers, the important thing is to reach every game in the right frame of mind. They are all tough opponents and the most important thing is how we approach it,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium.

“Neymar is not an easy man to replace and we’ll see in the market how Barcelona do that, but they have a great deal of quality anyway.

“In my view, Serie A is the most balanced in Europe and also the most draining in terms of physical and psychological energy. We reached the Champions League Final in Cardiff after a very intense campaign, because we had to sweat to the penultimate round.

“Playing all the provincial sides means you have to give your all and cannot field a second-string side. You must above all be highly-motivated and that can drain your energy for the Champions League performances.”

Marotta was asked about the rumours Juve are making a bid for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes.

“We have a good rapport with Barcelona, but the Andre Gomes issue was put on the front page by the journalists, as we absolutely did not negotiate for him this week. At the moment, he is not an objective.

“We are still working and I don’t like to rule anything out. The squad is already competitive for our objectives. I don’t think there are many opportunities for us, as we will only sign someone if they can raise the quality level of the squad.

“We are looking at some defenders, as we will certainly intervene in that area before the end of the window. If we can find someone eclectic who can play both in the centre of defence and on the flank, that’d be better.”

Is this a hint after reports of a deal with Schalke 04 for Germany international Howedes, who can play centre-back, right-back or left-back?

“You are very intuitive. We won’t deny that we had contacts, Howedes represents an interesting profile, but we still have to work out contractual issues with him and with Schalke 04. He is an option, perhaps more than just a hypothesis.”

Marotta also commented on reports Claudio Marchisio was seeking a transfer to Milan.

“We never feared for Marchisio, as he is not only a great player, but also a great fan. He has basically only ever played for Juventus since he was a kid and is emotionally bonded to this club.”

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow