‘Allegri agrees Arsenal deal and targets midfielder’

Juventus manager Max Allegri has verbally agreed a deal that will see him take over from Arsene Wenger at Arsenal next season, according to reports.

Allegri is on course to deliver a third successive Serie A title at Juventus and is looking for a new challenge, with the Premier League – and the chance to pit his wits against Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Antonio Conte – a serious temptation.

The Sunday Express claim that Allegri has been ‘locked in talks’ with Arsenal for some time and has now agreed to take over, if Arsene Wenger decides to walk away from the club and not sign a two-year extension.

Saturday night’s defeat to Liverpool after Wenger’s ludicrous decision not to start Alexis Sanchez may well hasten Wenger’s departure.

Allegri has apparently given Arsenal a list of targets if he takes the job, with Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic one of the names mentioned; he has probably been as impressed with Granit Xhaka as our Daniel Storey.

Allegri himself said on Saturday:  “Right now, at this moment, we are focused on what happens this season and so to talk about what I’m going to do is of little interest to anyone.

“The Juventus fans are interested in what the team does and what the team can win. Last year I met the President and told him I would stay, that when the moment comes I will talk to the club and we’ll decide.

“I have a contract to 2018, but now we have to focus on this very important period of the season, concentrating on Serie A, the Champions League and Coppa Italia without thinking of what will happen next year.

“Right now nobody is interested in what my future holds. The important thing is to be aware we can go all the way in all three competitions.”