The Juventus manager Antonio Conte has said that the former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will not be joining the club in the January transfer window. The Ivory Coast international is currently training with the Premier league outfit in order to keep himself fit before the African cup of nations begins in January. There has also been talk surrounding the future of the Ivory Coast international joining the Italian champions on a short-term loan deal before the resume of the Chinese league. The 34-year-old left Chelsea in the summer for the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua, but he is still regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
This is because of his achievements with Chelsea as recently as helping them win the Champions League title in May. The Italian tabloid papers suggested that Antonio Conte, who recently returned to the Juventus bench following his ban, was interested in bringing the 34-year-old in order to boost to the striking options at the club. Juventus are extremely good in all areas of the pitch except up front. Due to the finances being extremely tight at the club in recent times, they will be unable to afford the likes of Radamel Falcao at £ 45 million. Hence, they have reportedly identified Drogba as a stopgap solution.
Conte, though, rejected such speculation by saying that there is no truth in the rumours. “We are just fine keeping our feet on the ground. This is a difficult time given the current economic climate, not just for Juve but for all the other clubs. I won’t be bringing in any top players because we don’t have the means to support them. We have to make the most of what we have, we have to work hard and try to improve our current players into top players,” said Conte.