Liverpool’s want-away midfielder Alberto Aquilani looks set to make his loan spell at Juventus permanent, after the player’s agent once again reiterated that the 26-year-old is desperate to end his nightmare at Anfield by switching to Serie A giants Juventus.
While Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has stated that he would like to bring Aquilani back to Anfield in the summer, the Italian midfielder has repeatedly insisted that he would prefer to stay at Juventus.
"My situation is simple. It all depends on Juventus – if they want to, [they can] buy me without asking anyone's opinion," Aquilani told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"I would like to stay in Turin for a long time and win a lot. I want to be a protagonist in the new winning cycle that is opening up at Juventus. I have no doubt that Juve's project is a winner, they just need a little patience."
Since arriving at Liverpool from Roma in 2009, Aquilani struggled to settle despite commanding a fee reported to be in the region of £20 million. An injury ravaged spell left Aquilani with just 18 appearances in a Liverpool shirt before agreeing a loan switch to Turin giants Juventus in the summer of 2010.
With the Italian back in good form domestically, Juventus boss Giuseppe Marotta has revealed that he fully expects Aquilani to seal a permanent deal when the transfer window reopens in July.
Within the loan agreement was an option for Juventus to but the playmaker outright, and Aquilani’s agent has insisted the deal is a certainty.
“Juventus and Liverpool have established an agreement for the player," agent Franco Zavaglia told Radio-Mercato.
"The Bianconeri's leadership is absolutely determined to retain the player at the end of the season and they have repeated it several times.
"Everything that has been said recently about Aquilani is just assumptions. Liverpool will not discount the player and he will only be sold on the predetermined basis.
"If Juventus will not retain him, he returns to Liverpool even if the player wants to play in Italy, but I don't think in Italy there are another clubs other than Juventus which can take him."
The only obstacle that remains is an agreement on the fee for the player. Should the two clubs not successfully negotiate a deal, Aquilani may face the prospect of returning to Liverpool despite being desperate for a move to Serie A.
Aquilani's agent Franco Zavaglia restated his desire for the Italian midfielder to remain in Serie A, claiming that his client would find it very difficult to return to Anfield. However, with Juventus still unwilling to match Liverpool's valuation of the Italian international, Zavaglia's confidence in a deal being brokered seems to have lessened with the agent now at a stage where he is just hoping the two clubs can settle their differences.
“We are certainly waiting to hear how the situation develops and hope they can reach an agreement," Zavaglia told Calciomercato.it. "As far as Alberto is concerned, he has always been clear: he wants to stay in Italy. We are waiting to hear if a deal will be reached and that would be a huge bonus for us.”
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