Fantasy Inter makes target
of Del Piero
April 20, 1999
ATL World Soccer News
Juventus have begun the search
to replace star striker Alessandro Del Piero with a scouting trip to Leeds
to watch Australian wide player Harry Kewell.
Del Piero has rejected a
new Juve contract and the club are resigned to losing him in the summer.
Internazionale - to be led by former Del Piero mentor Marcello Lippi -
are set to sign the Italian international when he returns to fitness and
have made an offer to put him in Ronaldo's wage class on his arrival in
Milan.
The player is recovering
from knee surgery after damaging knee ligaments late in a Serie A draw
with Udinese last November. That wrote off the striker's entire season
and led to life in the Juve squad without their inspirational forward who
top scored for them in their last championship winning campaign in 1997-98.
Del Piero is not expected to regain match fitness until the start of next
season but his health is good after the knee treatment in Colorado. Juventus
were unable to meet his wage demands - £6 million a year - and Inter
have not indicated the transfer fee they are willing to pay to bring Del
Piero to them. Signing him, for instance, would end Roberto Baggio's short
career at Inter but coach Lippi has settled on Del Piero as the man to
partner Ronaldo in attack after failing to make any progress in attempts
to sign Zinedine Zidane.
A Del Piero transfer is in
its infancy but is expected to be the big summer move by Inter in their
attempt to win Serie A again for the first time since 1989. A deal between
Juve and Inter is rare as the two are the traditional old rivals of the
Italian game and the Turin fans would never forgive 'Magic Alex' for defecting
to Massimo Moratti's promise of millions.
Replacing the 24 year old
could take a long time for the Italian champions but Kewell is an early
contender to be added to the squad Carlo Ancelotti will lead next season.
He has impressed many critics for the past two seasons with his performances
in an emerging Leeds side but internal politics at the Yorkshire club may
prove a block on any Juve interest.
New manager David O'Leary
is unhappy with the club's board for failing to complete the signing of
Dutch midfielder Willem Korsten from Vitesse Arnhem for £1.5 million
after a three month loan spell with the club. Kewell is regarded as part
of the club's future and a move for him would not be wanted by O'Leary
despite a big offer from Juve. The Turin club are pleased with recent progress
made by French star Thierry Henry in Del Piero's old position of attacking
from wide on the left and the World Cup player may provide the most immediate
solution to Del Piero's loss.
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