Friday, March 18, 2011

Zenit St. Petersburg Eye Possible Alberto Aquilani Deal

Liverpool should have little problem shipping Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani out in the summer if they decide there is no place for the 26-year-old at Anfield, and the player could yet end up reuniting with a former coach.

Currently on loan at Juventus, Aquilani’s agreed asking price of €16.5M is proving too rich for the Serie A side to stomach, and alternatives are being considered. The Old Lady hope Liverpool could yet lower their demands however, and Aquilani himself is keen to remain in Turin.

The former Roma man though is already attracting attention from other clubs, with AC Milan linked just days ago and now Russian giants Zenit St. Petersburg believed to have sounded Liverpool out about the midfielder.

Current Zenit coach Luciano Spalletti knows Aquilani well, having worked with the player when he was Roma coach from 2005 until 2009. The 52-year-old is thought to believe he can tempt his countryman to Russia, a move which would represent a real coup for the current Russian Premier League champions.

Backed by Gazprom, Zenit would have little difficulty in paying the amount Liverpool requires. The only question mark hangs over whether Aquilani himself would head to Russia.

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