Post by Taxigirl on Feb 18, 2004 11:41:51 GMT
Juventus will not be signing Jaap Stam in the summer after the Dutchman revealed they don’t appeal to him.
The Bianconeri are in the hunt to net the Lazio ace but the stopper says he would prefer a switch to either of the Milan clubs instead.
"I do know that there is interest from three big clubs in Italy, but without meaning any disrespect to Juventus, I do not want to play for them," he told his Icons.com website.
"They have a good team but the prospect of joining Juve just doesn't attract me very much.
"I have always been the sort of person that follows my gut feelings and in truth I just don't have any feelings for Juventus."
Stam made the statement in response to growing speculation over what shirt he will be wearing next season.
The former Man Utd player is contracted to the capital club until 2005 but may be sold in the summer before his contract expires.
"If I am going to leave Lazio – which isn't certain by any means – then I would prefer to join a team from Milan," he added.
"The challenge of trying to win things in Milan is something that would excite me. I would love to win more medals before I retire and I believe that the Milan clubs give me the best chance."
If Stam joins Milan or Inter then he will become the second Lazio player to snub a switch to Juventus.
The Bianconeri were seriously keen on signing Dejan Stankovic but he opted to join Inter in January.
Meanwhile, reports in Holland suggest that Stam has agreed to join Milan. A two-year contract has apparently already been agreed. It is now up to the two clubs to sort out a fee.