Juventus close in on Man City and Tottenham target

Juventus have stolen a march on Tottenham and Manchester City in the race to sign unsettled Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente, according to reports in Italy.

Llorente, the Spain international, has informed Athletic that he does not intend to extend his stay beyond next summer, prompting interest from several clubs across Europe.

Juventus’s summer search for a centre-forward has yet to bear fruit, and senior officials at the Turin club have now decided to focus their attention on luring Llorente to Italy.

Calciomercatonews.com claims Juventus have offered Athletic £14m for Llorente - with the bid subsequently rejected.

The Serie A champions, who are expected to return with an improved offer, are also willing to offer Llorente an annual salary of £1.9m.

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has just one senior centre-forward, Jermain Defoe, in his squad at the moment, and he is desperate to bring in more attacking reinforcements before the end of the month and could launch a move for Llorente.