Milan: Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has sparked a potential transfer scramble by saying he would seek a move to England if Juventus decide to sell him.
Juve are seventh in Serie A after a dreadful season and cashing in on the 32-year-old could help the Turin side rebuild for next season."If I had to go I think England could be the destination," Buffon said on Tuesday.
"My wish to leave Juve is equal to the wish Juve have to let me go. Everything will be agreed with the club. At the moment there is nothing. My priority has always been Juventus. Let`s see if we decide to continue together."
England`s Manchester City tracked Buffon last year but he was quoted as saying they were not big enough to tempt him despite now being the richest club in the world.
Most other top English clubs have settled goalkeepers.
Media reports say Juventus want Rafael Benitez to replace interim coach Alberto Zaccheroni next season and Buffon praised the Liverpool coach despite his side suffering a similar campaign to Juve.
"His CV speaks for itself. He gives the impression of being a coach who can handle difficult situations, managerial situations," he said after denying Juve had to be rebuilt from scratch.Buffon, still one of the top goalkeepers in the world despite recent injuries and Juve`s poor campaign, was realistic about Italy`s hopes of retaining the World Cup in South Africa in July.
"I don`t think we have a big chance because we know how difficult it is to win a World Cup, but to repeat it is even harder," Buffon said, adding that Zaccheroni or Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli were the best candidates to succeed Italy coach Marcello Lippi.
Bureau Reprot
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.