Pjanic admits interest from other clubs but has ‘no reason to leave Juventus’

Miralem Pjanic

Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid and PSG were among the clubs to be linked with a move for the playmaker last summer.

But, speaking ahead of Juve’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash trip to face Atletico Madrid, the Bosnian underlined that his future is in Turin.

“There was some interest, it’s true, but I had no reason to change club,” he told Il Giornale.

“I don’t know if Juventus will be my last big club, because transfers don’t just depend on the player, but also on the club and who might or might not need you in that role.”

Juve were defeated twice in the group stage, by Manchester United and Young Boys, but Pjanic believes the result against Jose Mourinho’s side didn’t reflect the game.

“We should’ve won 4-0 against Manchester United that night,” he said.

“We’ve proved many times that we are strong, but people always want to create a sense of alarm around us. We’re not worried.”

Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Old Lady from Real Madrid in the summer as they look to finally get their hands on the Champions League trophy, after losing two finals in the last four seasons.

“He has always been decisive in the big games, he was born to score important goals,” Pjanic said of the Portuguese.

“And now we have him in our team. It’s up to us to make the most of his presence.

“When we have a chat, he tells me that he is happy and confident in the strength of this Juve side.

“I can see that the Champions League will come to Juventus over the next few years. It’s my dream to win it and I am in the ideal place to achieve that dream.”

Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.