Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio is aware of rumours linking him with Manchester United. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is a big admirer of Marchisio and has followed his progress for the last 18 months.

"It's true, just two months ago I heard reports I was on the transfer market and read that nobody had faith in me," said Marchisio.

"Instead, the truth was that Juve had a lot of faith in my abilities. It is an honour for me to be compared to a great champion like Marco Tardelli."