Juventus fans have gathered outside the club’s medical centre to chant that they ‘don’t want’ Romelu Lukaku.
The Chelsea striker had been expected to rejoin Inter Milan after spending last season on loan at the San Siro, but Juve are now emerging as favourites to sign him.
Lukaku is said to have snubbed Simone Inzaghi’s side after being benched for the Champions League final last season.
The 30-year-old scored 14 goals across all competitions last season but could not match his stunning form from two years earlier that helped Inter to the Scudetto.
He was left out of the Blues’ pre-season tour and is likely to join Juve, but it seems he would not be a fan favourite in Turin.
A large group gathered behind a barrier to make their feelings on Lukaku clear, and there has also been opposition from Massimo Mauro, who won Serie A with Juve in 1986.
‘As I see it, Lukaku would not rekindle the joy of the Bianconeri faithful. On the contrary,’ he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
‘Lukaku seems to me more like a shot from Allegri than from Giuntoli. We’re talking about an experienced and reliable striker.
‘If he stays fit and lucky, he can score 35 goals a season. Otherwise, he can miss simple chances and become the scapegoat as happened in the Champions League final.
‘I may be old, but I wouldn’t take players like Lukaku who even publicly said that they would never wear the black and white shirt.
The Belgian striker does have an unsavoury history with the Juve fans, after 171 were banned for racially abusing him in April.
Video footage showed Juventus fans chanting ‘f***ing monkey’ and ‘f*** off’ at Lukaku, who was shown a second yellow card and sent off for shushing them during his celebrations – with the referee deciding his gesture was provocative.
Inter appealed Lukaku’s ban but it was originally upheld by Italy’s Sports Court of Appeal, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president, Gabriele Gravina, personally intervened and overturned the ban.
After the decision to overturn his ban, Lukaku said: ‘I believe that thanks to his intervention justice has been done and this sends out a great message to the whole world of sport and beyond. This has shown that the desire is there to fight racism.’