Report: Andrea Pirlo wants Juventus to sign Edin Dzeko

Edin Dzeko has been one of the better strikers in Serie A for years now. Even though Roma has been a glass cage of emotion, inconsistency and the usual “Roma Happens” things that make them so Roma-y, Dzeko has been a consistent force. The thing about him, though, is that he’s 34 years old and you just don’t know when age will trump the talent that he so clearly still has.

And yet, Juventus is apparently interested in Roma’s No. 9.

At least, new manager Andrea Pirlo is.

That’s what we’re being told by Sky Sport Italia’s Gianluca Di Marzio, who reported Thursday that Pirlo has put Dzeko at the top of his summer wishlist. It’s that kind of transfer target that is rather interesting considering the fact that Juventus are a team that are in need of a new, younger kind of energy and that basically describes that opposite of what Dzeko is. He may be a quality striker still despite being in his mid-30s, he may still have energy to lead the line, but he most certainly isn’t young. Nor will he come cheap, at least in the salary aspect of the deal.

What we don’t know is how much a potential Dzeko addition would cost Juve, who are obviously operating this summer with a relatively limited budget and the likelihood of something major without the help of some kind of swap deal seems quite small.

But there was also this from Di Marzio:

The giallorossi consider Dzeko to be a key player on their squad, Fonseca and the new owners want to start the season with him, but should the striker express a desire to leave they would consider the situation based on the offers they receive.

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

When it comes to the hunt for a much more natural No. 9, Dzeko could very well be the most affordable option. Even though Roma will want some kind of money for him — and, like we said, who knows how much — he will certainly be cheaper than somebody like Arkadiusz Milik or Raul Jimenez, the latter who himself has been rumored to be in recent talks involving Wolverhampton and Juventus. (Those talks, as you might guess, didn’t reportedly progress the way we would have liked them to.)

Dezko, who turned 34 back in March, led Roma in scoring again this past season with 16 goals in 35 games (31 starts). He was also second on the team with seven assists.