Chelsea have been handed a blow in their attempt to sign Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic this summer after the Italian club claimed the 26-year-old wants to join Juventus.
Roma's general manager, Mauro Baldissoni, went onto Italian radio to deny a story that claimed the Serie A side had approached Juventus to sell Pjanic and then read out a letter from the Bosnia and Herzegovina international in which he expressed his desire to leave the club.
Standard Sport understands that Chelsea had been growing increasingly confident of signing the 26-year-old this summer, and were prepared to offer the playmaker a weekly salary of more than £65,000 a week and a three-year contract to lure him to London.
But Baldissoni's claims along with Juventus' subsequent confirmation of an impending medical for Pjanic has seemingly quashed Chelsea's hopes of signing Pjanic this summer.
Speaking to Roma Radio, Baldissoni said: "We read more rubbish on the Pjanic situation. Today we read supposed private conversations he confided in a friend, which the player has denied.
"I spoke to the lad this morning and he said he never wrote anything of the sort. I told him to defend himself and be careful, but above all we need to change the way things work in this city.
"It’s ridiculous that we have to come here and read out official contracts and documentation to deny things that are not true.
"This is the letter AS Roma received... 'I here with wish to inform you of my intention to exercise my right to be transferred to another club, as per our previous agreements.
"I also wish to inform you that I will settle the 20 per cent of the transfer fee that is due to me directly with the club purchasing my contract, which I can inform you is Juventus Football Club.
"I thank you and ask you to make contact in order to complete the necessary contractual formalities.
"Yours sincerely, Miralem Pjanic.'"
The prospective transfer was further confirmed by Juventus director Beppe Marotta, who told Gazzetta dello Sport: "The Pjanic operation was concluded with the push of the player, who strongly wanted the transfer to Juventus by activating the release clause he had already stipulated with Roma.
"Pjanic himself facilitated the operation by deciding to forego the percentage of that sum he would’ve been due.
"The player will undergo a medical with us shortly."
