Juventus Enter Bidding For Dhorasoo
Friday 24th August 2001
Juventus have emerged as surprise candidates to land unsettled Lyon winger Vikash Dhorasoo after the French club's president Jean-Michel Aulas revealed that they would be interested in a swap involving Juve's Brazilian wing-back Athirson. A part-exchange deal for Nantes captain Eric Carriere, though, is also an option.
"It's possible that Vikash could go to Juventus in a swap deal for the Brazilian Athirson," Aulas said, but he refused to rule out the possibility of selling Dhorasoo to a French club.
Bordeaux coach Elie Baup admitted his side's interest on Thursday, while Lyon have been tracking Carriere all summer, and would now be prepared to swap the highly-rated central midfielder for Dshorasoo and Poland international defender Jacek Bak.
"We have not given up on Carriere," Aulas went on, "and so we are going to ask Nantes whether there is a possibility of swapping Dhorasoo and Bak for him."
All Dhorasoo can do, meanwhile, is hope that things are sorted out soon as he continues to train with the reserves after falling out with coach Jacques Santini. "I'm waiting calmly in my corner but it's very tough," he said.
Athirson is a pacy left-back who has been earmarked as Roberto Carlos's successor in the Brazil national side. He joined Juve in January and made his international debut two months later.
Carriere was instrumental in Nantes' Championnat success last season, and won the title of French player of the year, before being called up to the France squad for the Confederations Cup in the summer.
He turned down a move to Chelsea at the end of last season, but did seem more interested in a move to Lyon, only for Santini initially to baulk at his �8 million asking price.
Bak helped Lek Poznan to the Polish title in 1993. He joined Lyon for �500,000 in June 1995 after the transfer of central defender Bruno N'Gotty to Paris Saint-Germain but has struggled to establish himself after suffering a series of injuries.
Bordeaux, though, are also in the race after Baup declared his interest on Thursday. "I would like an attacking midfielder and he is a very good and effective one," he said. I've got plenty of players to play the ball-winning role but he is capable of playing out wide."
One of Bordeaux's problems last season was there lack of a talented wide-man to supply Pauleta and Christophe Dugarry up front. With the signing of Christian from Paris Saint-Germain boosting Bordeaux's attacking options, Baup feels he need a quality supplier from the flank.
Last season, Belgium captain Marc Wilmots played out of position on the flank. It was cited as one of the reasons he left to join Schalke 04.
Bordeaux general manager Charles Camporro confirmed the club's interest, saying: "The player possesses the profile we are looking for." And his Lyon equivalent, Bernard Lacombe, said: " I know Bordeaux are very interested."
Dhorasoo said earlier this year that the probability of him staying at Lyon for this season was "less than 0.001 per cent".
Last week, goalkeeper Gregory Coupet told Dhorasoo that he was not welcome back in the first-team squad. "He declared he didn't want to be with is and it would be difficult to reintegrate him," Coupet said.
Dhorasoo turned down a move to Bologna last season and reacted to speculation linking him with Marseille by saying: "They can talk and try to do as many deals as they like, but anything that has gone through my agent and me won't be considered. Going to Marseille just doesn't interest me."
The diminutive playmaker signed an extension to his contract at the beginning of the season. But his comments suggest that he sees his future away from Stade Gerland. "The season started badly. I wasn't very good at the beginning and then I got injured," he explained.
"On top of that, I didn't have the trust of Jacques Santini. My situation wasn't very clear and that led to some stunning behaviour."
Since joining Lyon from Le Havre in 1998, Dhorasoo has forced his way into the international reckoning. But he has not played for the world and European champions since winning his second cap in the 1-0 win over Andorra in 1999.
