Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio.
Sir Alex Ferguson is planning a major summer overhaul of his squad, and has identified Marchisio as the man to run the middle of the park in his team next season.
The Italian international is having another solid season for the Old Lady of Turin, with Juventus keen to keep their player at Juventus for the foreseeable future.
Juve are unwilling to let go of the 27-year-old and will demand a fee well in excess of £20 million ($30 million) to scare off potential suitors, according to Tuttosport.
United, even if they do not sell the likes of Anderson in the summer, still need a ball winning, hard tackling, box-to-box midfielder in their lineup, and in that regard Marchisio fits the bill perfectly.
However, with Juventus not ready to let go of the player who came up from their youth system and has spent his entire career in Turin, apart from a loan spell at Empoli, it will be difficult for the English Premier League champions-elect to manufacture a move.
Marchisio, himself has said he is extremely happy at Juventus, and even if he were to leave, he would prefer a move to the Bundesliga rather than the EPL.
"Where would I go then? I would prefer the Bundesliga than the Premier League," Marchisio told Gazettta dello Sport earlier this month.
"I love German football, they have wonderful modern stadiums and they are always full and I greatly admire the mentality of fans who do not leave the stadium early even if their side is four goals behind."
United have also been linked with moves for Victor Wanyama of Celtic and Dutch international Kevin Strootman. Marchisio is a more dynamic midfielder, though, and although not a purely defensive player, he would definitely add more quality to the squad.
