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Sarri deals a blow to Man Utd by saying he wants to build around Dybala and Douglas Costa

Sarri deals a blow to Man Utd by saying he wants to build around Dybala and Douglas Costa

New Juventus Maurizio Sarri gave his first press conference today, and he seemed to deal with the pressure very well. He seemed comfortable talking to the media and batted away the inevitable question about his tracksuit "I'll talk to the club. Obviously, when representing Juventus, I will wear their uniform. The important thing at my age is that they don't send me out there naked..."

He also hinted that he wasn’t completely wedded to the 4-3-3 system that he used at Napoli and Chelsea, and said he would evaluate the squad before deciding exactly how the team would line-up, “You can't start with a system and send players out or bring them in. We have to identify the two or three players who can make the difference. I played 4-3-1-2 for a lifetime before the 4-3-3, so we'll see."

Overall he was very positive on the strength of the playing squad. Obviously he was quick to praise Cristiano Ronaldo, “I've trained great players over the years, but with Ronaldo I move on to the next level. This is a guy with every record in world football and I'd like to help him set another, knowing that I contributed to it." But he was also complimentary towards two players that most in the media expected him to move on from the club, Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa, "Dybala is talented, Douglas Costa is a potential top player & we must see how we can build around them.”

If Sarri can find a way to fit these two into his tactics it could well be a masterstroke for Juventus, but it will also serve to put an end to speculation that has been rife recently linking both players to Manchester United. Both players have seen almost constant links to Manchester United over the last few transfer windows, but if they are given a chance under Sarri, they will both have the opportunity to cement themselves into his team. And with Sarri's notorious lack of rotation, anyone that he has gone out of his way to praise in his first press conference will feel much more secure at the club.