Football News

“I would think twice” — Miralem Pjanic warns Alvaro Morata and Matthijs de Ligt about leaving Juventus for Barcelona

By Ben Green

Published: 12:13, 6 January 2022

Former Juventus star Miralem Pjanic has told Alvaro Morata and Matthijs de Ligt to “think twice” about joining Barcelona.

Pjanic, 31, left Juventus for the Camp Nou in 2020, but he endured a disastrous spell in Catalonia and ultimately joined Besiktas in the summer on loan.

Barca have once again been linked with a host of names from Turin, with Morata and De Ligt thought to be on Xavi’s radar this month.

De Ligt, 22, only joined Juve in 2019, but his agent, the infamous Mino Raiola, recently revealed his client is ready for a new challenge and could leave Turin.

“(De Ligt) is ready for a new step… he thinks that too,” Raiola told Dutch newspaper NRC last month.

The former Ajax captain has long been linked with a move to Barca, while Morata has also seen his named heavily associated with the club this month.

However, Pjanic has issued a warning to both players, believing they may be better off sticking around at Juventus, rather than following in his footsteps.

“Morata has had an amazing career so far,” Pjanic said.

“He played for big clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.

“Sometimes players need motivation, but I would think twice before leaving a club where I feel well.

Bet £10, Get £20 in Free Bets T&Cs apply

18+, UK only. Deposit and place a minimum £10 cash bet at single or accumulated odds of 1/1 or greater and we will give you 1 x £5 in free bets plus an extra 3 x £5 Free Bets the following day. Applies to first cash bet only. Free bets credited as 4 x £5 bets to use on 3x Any sport & 1x Virtuals. Cashed Out, Void or Draw No Bet wagers do not qualify for this promotion. 1 x £5 Free Bets are credited upon qualifying first bet settlement, other free bets credited by midday the day after your first bet settles. 7-day free bet expiry. Available once per customer. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Full T&C’s apply.

18+ only. New UK customers only. T&Cs apply. Claim Here
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets T&Cs apply

18+ only. Use code BET30. New Players Only. Minimum stake $/€/£ 10, minimum odds1.5, stake not returned.1X wagering the winnings from the free bet. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds. Free bet is valid for 7 Days from issue. Max conversion: $/€/£ 200. Excluded Skrill deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Full Terms Apply

18+ only. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Claim Here
£20 in free bets when you place a £10 bet T&Cs apply

18+ only. £10 min. deposit required. 1 x £10 qualifying bet required. Qualifying bet must be placed on selection with min. odds of 1.8 (4/5). 4 x £5 Free Bets will be credited once the qualifying bet has been settled. 1 x Free Bet valid for any Football Match Result market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Football Correct Score market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Horse Racing market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Tennis market. Free Bets valid for 7 days once credited. T&Cs apply.

18+ only. New customers only. T&Cs apply. Claim Here

“Morata knows what to do, Barcelona hired Xavi, a coach who knows the club really well, I don’t know the details, but I’ve always heard that Morata was happy at Juventus even if when Barcelona call you always need to think about it.”

He added: “De Ligt has three years left in his contract with Juventus, he has the right commitment, but I don’t know if Barcelona are interested.

“He made a great choice by deciding to join Juventus and work with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, he is happy at Juventus and when you are happy, it’s better not to leave.

“We’ll see if he will have the motivation to leave.”

Despite interest emanating from Catalonia for Morata, Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri recently poured cold water on a potential transfer.

“I told Alvaro that he is staying here, he is not leaving Juventus, end of story,” Allegri recently said.