Saturday, 9th April, 2011
Schalke are preparing to battle Ruhr rivals Borussia Dortmund for the signature of Juventus defensive midfielder Felipe Melo and hope that a player-exchange deal could give them the edge.
Dortmund are set to be crowned Bundesliga champions this season and want to strengthen their squad for the Champions League. And to that end Jurgen Klopp’s side have been linked with a €12M bid for Juventus’ Felipe Melo.
However, Schalke have also emerged as an interested party, although they cannot offer the Brazilian Champions League football next season unless they lift the current competition. Holding a 5-2 first leg lead in their quarter-final against Inter, Schalke do look set for the semi-finals, but winning the tournament still seems a big ask.
Ralf Rangnick’s side though feel they may be able to tempt Juventus into accepting a swap deal for Felipe Melo, with former AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar heading to Turin. That the Bianconeri are looking for another striker is well known and Huntelaar could be an attractive proposition.
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