Miralem Pjanic rejects interest from Chelsea

According to Spanish publication Marca (h/t Daily Mail), Juventus star Miralem Pjanic has rejected interest from Chelsea to push through a move to Barcelona.

The Bosnian midfielder looks set to leave Turin as Juventus attempt to deal with the financial fallout due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 30-year-old has contributed with three goals and four assists in 32 appearances this season.

Barcelona too are keen on the player but have been unable to come up with an offer to satisfy Juventus. The offer that saw Arthur Melo included in part-exchange was shot down by the Turin giants.

Juventus realize it will be difficult to keep hold of Pjanic and are determined to get top dollar. They value the player at around £40million. With his contract running until 2023, they have the high ground when it comes to negotiations. (h/t Daily Mail)

It is a matter of debate if Barcelona can cough up the money needed. They have suffered like any other club amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have already secured the signing of Hakim Ziyech and look to have Timo Werner in the bag. The duo would considerably improve our attack that has been too dependent on Tammy Abraham this season.

At 30, Pjanic is not a long-term option. It is difficult to justify a massive outlay on a short term prospect, especially in today’s financial situation.

The Bosnian has been a mainstay in the Juventus midfield. However, he could find it difficult to cope with the speed and strength of the Premier League.

Missing out on him should not count as a big blow. We are better off spending that money elsewhere.

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A versatile midfielder who can fulfil a variety of roles, Pjanic has played a key role in Juventus’ domination of Serie A.