Verona coach Ivan Juric says transfer rumours have affected the attention of his team, but also insists he needs “three of four players to raise the bar.”
Juric’s side face Genoa today at the Stadio Bentegodi. Kickoff is at 17:00 GMT. You can read the match preview here.
The Gialloblu beat SPAL 2-0 last weekend, but Juric says that rumours of players leaving the club have had some affect on the concentration of his players.
“I’ve got to know the lads well after five or six months. I don’t think it can influence them unconsciously,” said Juric in his press conference.
“However, it is normal when the lads have the opportunity to go higher that they are not 100% focused, but they haven’t given me any preoccupied signals.”
Whilst on the subject of the transfer market, Juric relayed that he would like to bring in a few more players of his own.
“We need three or four players to raise the bar. The other day I didn’t have many players on the bench. You need as many competitive players as possible.”
Sofyan Amrabat has been at the centre of speculation regarding a move to Napoli, and Juric isn’t sure if the midfielder will start against Genoa.
“Alongside [Emmanuel] Badu, there is more competition. I will choose today who to select. I consider him an important player for us.”
Verona are close to a deal for Milan forward Fabio Borini, but Juric doesn’t want to talk about it.
“They always offer you something on the market. First I want it to be official before I talk about him.”
Juric previously coached Genoa, and has since brought over many of his former Rossoblu players to the club, and says they are important to the team.
“They certainly are important. [Miguel] Veloso, [Darko] Lazovic and [Koray] Gunter are good players and the right men for us. [Eddie] Salcedo too, who came from Inter.”
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