Manchester City and Chelsea given encouragement in pursuit of Juventus star

Manchester City and Chelsea will been given the greenlight in their pursuit of Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci if Max Allegri remains at the club over the summer, reports Yahoo.

Allegri and Bonucci’s relationship has strained over the course of the season and even culminated in the Italy international being dropped for their Champions League first leg clash with Porto after aiming a foul mouthed rant at Allegri after their 4-1 win over Palermo last month.

Despite the fact both have come out on record to dismiss any ill feeling between the pair, Bonucci has reportedly had enough for Allegri and will seek a move away from the Serie A giants unless Allegri is replaced as head coach.

Allegri’s future at Juventus is also up in the air with reports claiming he could take over as Barcelona manager at the end of the season, while he continues to be linked with Arsene Wenger’s job at Arsenal.

While nothing is concrete, it certainly gives City and Chelsea renewed encouragement in their pursuit of the centre-back after both Premier League clubs failed with moves for the 29-year-old last summer.

Only three outfielders have completed more accurate long balls in Serie A this season than Bonucci (157).

For more stats on Leonardo Bonucci, click here to visit his WhoScored player page