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Andrea Pirlo wants Juventus to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in January, according to reports. The Italian manager is looking to add another striker to his squad and believes that the Frenchman fits the bill.
Edouard rose through the ranks at Paris-Saint Germain but failed to break into the senior team. He had loan spells first with Toulouse and then with Celtic, but it was with the Scottish giants that the Frenchman broke into his own. He scored 11 times in 29 appearances while on loan with Celtic in the 2017-18 season and his move was made permanent in the summer of 2018.
Since joining, the Frenchman has been very impressive for Celtic and has won the league in each of his three seasons with the club. He was in devastating form last season too, scoring 29 goals from 47 appearances. This season, Edouard is yet to touch the same level of performance on the field but still has nine goals from 20 appearances in all competitions. And that has been enough to garner the attention of Juventus.
Juventus could sign Edouard for £30m
The reigning Serie A champions are trailing in the title race this season and are currently ten points behind league leaders AC Milan. Juventus, are planning for attacking reinforcements in January to defend their title and have set their eyes on Edouard.
In addition to the Frenchman, the Old Lady have also been linked with Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud and Arkadiusz Milik of Napoli, two seasoned veterans who guarantee goals and experience. However, Juventus have been targeting talented young players of late and see potential in Edouard to be a success in Turin.
The Frenchman is a wanted man and is being monitored by Serie A rivals AC Milan among other clubs, which could pose a problem for Juventus. Edouard also has his admirers in the Premier League. Leicester City were interested in the player last season but have been deterred by his £30m price tag. Aston Villa’s interest in the Frenchman has also waned in recent times.
However, Juventus believe that Edouard has the qualities to warrant the valuation and will not be worried about the price tag. The Frenchman is nearing the final 18-months of his current deal with Celtic, which might give the Serie A side an advantage in their pursuit of the player.
However, pricing him away in January could prove to be problematic, given that Celtic are involved in a feisty title battle with Rangers.
