Juventus stalk Anelka with little success

Juventus have begun the long chase to try and sign Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka.

The English champions rejected any initial deal this week in a meeting with Juve director Roberto Bettega and have named a price of twenty million pounds for their teenage French star.

Juve also know that the player would prefer a move to Spain - in particular FC Barcelona- rather than go immediately to Italy but he is now regarded as a top priority for Juventus who would be prepared top spend eighteen million pounds to sign the front runner. They know that Anelka is unhappy and depressed with his life in London but Arsenal continue to see the striker's difficulties as growing pains and reject any immediate move abroad is likely for the player who has emerged as one of Europe's top strikers in the past twelve months. Juventus are also reluctant to spend excessively in the transfer market as the financial restructuring of the club continues within the Agnelli family car manufacturing empire. If Anelka provokes interest at more than twenty million pounds then Juve will have little option but to agree to Inter's plans for a seventeen million pound move for Zinedine Zidane. Injured Alessandro Del Piero has also to commit to a new contract and his decision on the future will have a major impact on the Juventus plans for the future. They are already close to the signing of Parma AC midfielder Dino Baggio and Gianluca Zambrotta has already joined for next summer.