Juric wants Belotti to say, but prefers to change ‘rather than wait’

Torino coach Ivan Juric wants clarity from captain Andrea Belotti and hopes the Italy international tells him he wants to stay at the Granata.

Belotti has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and the European champions returns to rumours and speculation regarding his own future.

The new coach, Juric, arrived from Hellas Verona ahead of the new season and hopes to have convinced the striker to remain, but only if he is ready to give his all.

“I want him to tell me: ‘Coach, I want to stay here. I’m your captain, let’s go to war’,” Juric told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I hope that after seeing the friendly against Rennes, he will be convinced that he can score 20 goals with this team. That’s my idea.

“I understand that Andrea might have some slag after two disappointing years. But I start from scratch and say that two years ago Belotti was an absolute top player, but he hasn’t been in the last two years.

“I don’t think he played a good season in the last championship. But if Belotti works properly, I’m convinced that we will get back a great centre-forward. But he must regain the real spark, which he might have lost in recent years.

“I want people who only have one idea in mind. We are Toro, we have to change the history of the last few years and to do that, I want men willing to give everything. Rather than wait, I prefer to change.”