Juventus fight to keep Davids and Del Piero

April 13, 2001
Onefootball.com

Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi has insisted that Edgar Davids will still be at the club next season, despite renewed speculation linking the Dutchman with moves to Schalke 04 and Manchester United. He also pledged to keep Alessandro del Piero, another player rumoured to be on his way out.

Moggi revealed that Juventus will be active in the transfer market in the close season, but was keen to stress that there are no plans for a wholesale clear-out despite a second successive disappointing European campaign.

"We will try to add some champions to the squad we already have," he said. "But it is already a squad of champions. And we will not replace our great players. We will buy new champions, but not to take over from Davids, Inzaghi and Del Piero."

That gives the lie to reports in Germany suggesting that Schalke have lined up Davids in a swap deal involving Belgium international striker Emile Mpenza.

Mpenza has been linked with transfers away from Germany virtually since his arrival in Gelsenkirchen 15 months ago, and they have only intensified after the purchase of Nigeria international forward Victor Agali.

With Gerald Asamoah in the squad as well, Schalke are more than covered for strikers, but desperately need a central midfielder to ease the burden on Andreas Moller. Certain German newspapers have indicated that Davids, who knows Schalke coach Huub Stevens from his days under him in the Ajax youth team, has been spotted in Gelsenkirchen, and has bought a house and opened a bank account there.

Schalke have denied any interest in the Holland international, but managing director Rudi Assauer recently claimed that Schalke are targetting a big-name star, who would help to turn them into serious contenders for the German title and a major force in European football.

Schalke are certainly desperate for the success that would help them fill their £120 million state-of-the-art ArenaAufSchalke, and it is thought that the sponsors of the ground, Dutch electronics giants Philips, would be prepared to help bank-roll major signings.

There have also been reports in England linking Davids with a move to Manchester United, who are one of the few clubs in the world who could afford the £50,000 per week wages, after tax, that Davids is thought to be demanding.

Davids has repeatedly been linked with a move to Arsenal, possibly in a swap deal involving Patrick Vieira, but, according to the Sun, the Highbury club have pulled out of the bidding because they are unwilling to match Davids' wage demands.

Moggi, though, claimed that the French midfielder is still a target. "We will looking at Vieira and Christian Vieri," he said. "We are interested in them, but I will not reveal how interested to a journalist. We have a plan and we will go on with that."

Del Piero, meanwhile, is expected to sign an extension to his contract at the end of the season. There had been speculation earlier in the season that he would leave Italy, but a return to form seems to have secured his place at the Delle Alpi.
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