However, north Londoners have now been joined by five other top-flight rivals in the race to win Azzurri star’s signature next summer.
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Tottenham Hotspur are leading a group of five other big-name Premier League clubs said to be keen on signing veteran Juventus midfield player Andrea Pirlo when his contract in Turin runs out at the end of this season, according to reports on Football Italia.
The Serie A champions have yet to open talks with the veteran Italy international about extending Pirlo’s stay with the ‘Old Lady of Italian Football’, despite the fact that the 34-year-old’s present deal expires on June 30 2104, with it understood that Juve only plan on entering into negotiations with the holding midfield player around the February-March time.
And it is that delay that has now seemingly opened the door for a plethora of Premier League clubs to steal a match on the Italian giants in the race to sign Pirlo up for the next campaign, with foreign suitors able to sit down with the playmaker to discuss the possibility of him signing a pre-contract agreement for the 2014-15 season as soon as the winter transfer window finally opens again for business for the year in January.
Joining Spanish outfit Real Madrid in the chase for Pirlo are understood to be top-flight sides Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, although it is thought that it is Andre Villas-Boas’s men who are currently the favourites to sign the player should he fail to agree a new deal with Juventus.