Hotel meeting marks the start of exit negotiations for £40m Chelsea star
Britain Soccer Football - Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth - Premier League - Stamford Bridge - 26/12/16 Bournemouth's Joshua King in action with Chelsea's Nemanja Matic Action Images via Reuters / Tony O'Brien Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici has met with an intermediary of Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic at a Milan hotel, reports the Corriere Dello Sport.
Agent Giuseppe Riso is believed to be handling negotiations between Juve and Chelsea in Italy. The 5 star Palazzo Parigi is the base of operations for Juventus during this transfer window, the Italian newspaper reports, and Riso talked to Paratici about a number of players with Matic top of the agenda.
The Bianconeri are hopeful a deal can be done for the Serbian international, and they believe the player is keen on a move to Turin. La Repubblica reported on Tuesday that Matic had met Juventus manager Max Allegri on vacation in Sardinia, and had been convinced to join the Serie A champions during their discussions.
Chelsea are holding out for £40m (€45m) for the midfielder, but Juve are not willing to do a deal for that amount. As Matic is 28, they believe the price is excessive and want to reduce the Blues’ demands for the player.