Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri admits his admiration for Chelsea midfielder Oscar

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has admitted his admiration for Chelsea midfielder Oscar, fuelling talk of an imminent bid from the Serie A champions.

While Oscar featured regularly in Jose Mourinho's side during the 2014-15 season, he finished just seven of his 26 starting appearances, finishing 90 minutes of a game on just one occasion this year.

Despite the Brazil international claiming he is happy at the club and his manager reassuring him he has a long-term future at Stamford Bridge, the 23-year-old remains tentatively linked with a move to Champions League runners up Juventus.

And Bianconeri boss Allegri admits the Chelsea midfielder has appeared on his radar. When asked if he likes Oscar, the Juventus boss told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Very much. He is one of those players who can make a difference in Europe.

"I like Oscar, but I also like Isco, Javier Pastore, Angel di Maria, Toni Kroos – all the best players from the Champions League."

But Mourinho has given every indication that he will not listen to offers for Oscar during the summer transfer window. Despite fading somewhat in the second half of last season, the Chelsea boss believes a full summer of rest will see the Brazilian match Eden Hazard's evolution next season.

"Someone like Oscar, for example, is a fabulous player but he's never had a pre-season in his life," Mourinho said. "He's always been playing in tournaments everywhere, he's never had a rest.

"Now, because he's injured he's not going to the Copa America and I have a feeling that next year Oscar can have the same kind of evolution as Hazard had this season. I'm happy with my squad and I have to respect the people that gave us the title."

Oscar was left out of Brazil's Copa America squad after suffering an injury in training in May.