Gianluigi Buffon set to return; plans to stay at Juventus
The only move that Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will be making in the near future will be from the practice pitch to the Juventus starting XI, according to Sylvano Martina, Buffon's agent, who spoke recently with Goal.com.
Rumors had begun to circulate recently that Buffon could be on the move, when the January transfer window opens up, to Manchester United, but Martina claims that the rumors are unfounded.
"No, it's not true, this story is not true at all. I don't know anything about this," he said.
What is apparently true is that Buffon has been back in action and training in Vinovo in preparation for a return to the top flight after an extended layoff due to injury.
"What I do know is that today Buffon is training with Juventus at Vinovo, diving and training hard so he can come back stronger than ever," Martina added.
Buffon's return to the lineup would certainly be a welcome one as Juventus seem poised to make a serious run for the Scudetto for the first time since 2006 when they were relegated to Serie B for their involvement in the Serie A match fixing scandal.
Juventus currently sit in fourth place with 23 points from 13 matches.
The alleged link between Manchester United and Juventus involved a proposed swap for Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, but according to Martina the rumors are a total fabrication.
"Of the rest I know nothing. I have never been contacted by any club in England, it's the usual paper talk. I really don't know anything. You get people writing these things, offers like this, offers like that, but none of
it is true.
"From what I know Manchester United have already bought a goalkeeper from Denmark. United also have Tomasz Kuszczak and other goalkeepers there. And I also have a client there in Nemanja Vidic. I have an excellent relationship with the Manchester United board
of directors and they have never contacted me about Buffon.
"We have never had any talks. The Buffon-Berbatov swap is an invention from the papers."
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