Villa vie for Miccoli

JUVENTUS claim either Aston Villa or Benfica will buy Italian forward Fabrizio Miccoli in the next 48 hours.

The Serie A champions want to find a permanent new home for the forward, who played at Fiorentina last season after joining them in a deal which ended up with his rights being co-owned by both Juve and the Viola.

“We need to sell a striker, and that would be Miccoli,” said Juventus general director Luciano Moggi. “In a couple of days, we will know whether he will go to Benfica or Aston Villa.”

Miccoli’s permanent departure from Juve was all but sealed last summer when he criticised them for choosing to retain Alessandro Del Piero’s services instead of his own.