Football: Juventus may link Dugarry and Sukur

JUVENTUS ARE poised to pull off a double transfer coup and link the French World Cup winning forward Christophe Dugarry with leading Turkish striker Hakan Sukur.

Dugarry, 26, is believed to be on the point of joining the Italian Serie A giants from Marseilles for around 14 billion lire (pounds 5.2m), the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported yesterday. It said Dugarry would join the Italian champions after the new year and would be ready to face his former club Milan in a league match on 6 January. Dugarry has a clause in his contract which permits him to leave Marseilles at the end of this season for 14 billion lire, but the French club would be willing to release him immediately, the Gazzetta said.

Juventus have been scouring the transfer market for a replacement for Alessandro Del Piero, who has torn cruciate ligaments in his left knee.

And Sukur has revealed that he is also considering a move to Juventus from Galatasaray in a transfer which newspapers say is worth a possible pounds 9m.