Pjaca: I chose Juve with my heart, not because of money

Officially unveiled as Juventus’ newest summer signing, Marko Pjaca believes the Italian champions are still an attractive destination, in spite of Paul Pogba’s world-record transfer to Manchester United.

Speaking to the press in Turin, Pjaca was keen to suggest Juventus are at the very top of club football instead of a stepping stone, when asked about motivations for Pogba’s departure.

“I’m only thinking of Juventus. That’s how it is now and will be in the coming years. Juventus is my future, now and in the future. I’m not thinking about anyone else,” Pjaca said.

“I chose Juventus with my heart, and not because of money, because that’s how I’ve always done it.”

The €23million signing maintained he feels no pressure and his choice of Juve, over the likes of AC Milan who had keen interest, was an easy one.

“I chose Juventus because this is a great club with a rich history, and I hope to help my new team-mates to achieve success. Here I can achieve personal and collective goals,” Pjaca said.

“I’m not going to feel any pressure. Juventus have paid a lot for other players, much more than me. I’m just going to give my maximum and show that the 23million they paid was a good investment.”

Quickly adjusting to the Croatia national team set-up and earning a ticket to Euro 2016, Pjaca shone in the second half of last season’s Croatian top flight, as Dinamo Zagreb won the league and cup double.

Similarly to compatriot Ivan Perisic, Pjaca is dangerous in one-on-one situations while both physically and technically dynamic, meaning he can play a number of roles on both sides of the ball.

Asked about positional preference, the 21-year-old said he is happy to defer to his more e
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xperienced team-mates.

“I’m not going to be overawed by my team-mates, but I have to learn from them. Juve has fantastic players like [Mario] Mandzukic, [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Paolo] Dybala. I just hope to find a place in the team,” he said.

“At Dinamo, I was mostly a winger but as a youth player, I knew how to play as the centre-forward or attacking midfielder. I believe I’m going to cover a few positions here, but it all depends on the coach.”