Pirlo should move to Premier League, says Tardelli

The Juventus midfielder's current deal is set to expire at the end of the season - with no talks expected until February - and the 59-year-old has backed him to move to England

Former Juventus midfielder Marco Tardelli has backed Andrea Pirlo to impress in the Premier League as speculation over his future continues.

The 34-year-old is currently in the third and final year of his contract with the Bianconeri, with the club confirming that no talks will take place before the end of the January transfer window.

And Tardelli feels Pirlo should test himself against the more physical nature of English football before he reaches the end of his playing career.

"Andrea is special and always decisive," Tardelli told Tuttosport. "It is not only with his free kicks he is good, if he plays well the whole team improves.

"It’s a complex and personal decision. That said, I would try Andrea in English football … Pirlo is quite famous in those parts."

When asked who would get his vote for the upcoming Fifa Ballon d'Or, Tardelli added: "Pirlo. But I think that Cristiano Ronaldo will win it."

Juventus face Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday as they search for their first victory in the competition this season following three draws and one defeat.

The Italian outfit can still reach the knockout stages with positive results in their final two games, and Tardelli has backed Fernando Llorente to step up after struggling for games during the early stages of his Juventus career.

He added: "My money is on Llorente as the decisive man. To be honest, at the beginning of the season I was among the sceptics.

"I didn’t have doubts about the player himself, but his adaptability to Conte’s game. But he's scoring and playing very well.

"He has the right characteristics to hurt the Danes. And above all, he seems to be in great shape."

One of Juventus' standout players this season has been Paul Pogba, with five goals from midfield already this season.

However, the youngster is yet to score in the Champions League - with Carlos Tevez without a goal in Europe in four years - but Tardelli is confident both can end their barren runs.

When queried on Pogba's record, Tardelli said: "It’s a minor detail, we’re talking about an important midfielder. He is playing fantastically, I hope he can score against Copenhagen.

"And the same goes for Tevez: the fact that he has not scored in Europe is a coincidence, I think.