Pavel Nedved Praises Udinese's Czech Pair Prompting Rumours of Juventus Switch

Czech Republic legend Pavel Nedved has praised fellow countrymen Antonin Barak and Jakub Jankto of Udinese, sparking reports of a Juventus move for the pair.

Nedved, who now sits as the vice-chairman of the board at Juve, brought the two up during an interview with Tuttosport, indicating that this may not be the last time we hear the pair and Juventus in the same conversation.

Francesco Pecoraro/GettyImages

Nedved said: “If we talk about Czech talents, we do not have to try a lot. Udinese has Barak and Jankto, two I like. They are doing well, but I think they can play at a higher level”.

Nedved made special mention of Jankto, who has also been linked with AC Milan and with clubs in the Premier League in recent months.

“I like him from an athletic and technical point of view, he’s a player that attacks and defends, running a lot.”

Dino Panato/GettyImages

Juventus have reportedly already made first contact with Udinese about Jankto, but the Friulians do not seem willing to part company with one of their star players any time soon.

Instead, they may be trying to build their players' value up as much as possible to potentially profit on them at the end of the season.

These rumours also come about as talk of Liverpool midfielder Emre Can’s proposed switch to Juventus has died down somewhat, potentially meaning that the Bianconeri are searching for an alternative.