Riccardo Saponara; Empoli want to hang on to their jewel according to coach Giovanni Martusciello and anyone who wants him must pay heavily for him.
 

Back at the start of the year, the 24-year-old seemed destined for Juventus after a blistering start to the season had won him the affections of bianconeri boss Massimo Allegri. Observers continued to watch the player for the rest of the campaign but despite sending positive reports back to Marotta and Paratici, the situation has now changed radically. Juve changed their minds, preferring to go for experience players of the calibre of Pjanic and Higuain, the attacking midfielder was now no longer needed and looks to be in limbo going into the new campaign.  

The Tuscan club may have accepted the fact that their star man will leave this summer but the problem is that 50% of any potential sell-on fee must go to Milan; the club who nurtured the player as a youngster. Empoli wants to collect at least €10 million from any deal so the minimum price would have to be €20 million. This is an amount that Juventus considered too high to take a risk on and the two teams who are in the viewfinder at present are Bologna and Premier League champions Leicester City.
 

The rossoblu are certainly not prepared to spend €20 million but there could be more positive news coming from England with Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri urging his executives to push the deal through. If an offer of at least €15 million does not arrive by August 15, the player will not leave Tuscany, a conclusion that would obviously please Martusciello. Time is ticking to decide the future of a player once considered one of the best players in Italy.

By Alessandro Cosattini. Adapted and translated by Steve Mitchell