Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic was twice close to Bayern move

Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic has told Sport Bild he twice almost joined Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Pjanic was playing for French club Metz in 2008 when Bayern president Uli Hoeness talked to him about a potential move.

"Uli Hoeness invited me to his house," Pjanic said. "I had only just turned 17. But back then Bayern was too big a club for me."

Instead, Bosnia international Pjanic moved to Lyon for €7.5 million, joining Roma in 2011 before a €32m move to Juventus at the start of the season when Bayern were again interested.

He said: "Bayern is a dream destination for every player, one of the best clubs in the world, a real machine.

"But Juve were simply quickest. They made it clear from the start they really wanted me. That swayed my decision.

"My best years lie in front of me. I want to win titles, and Juve is the right club for that."

Juventus face Monaco in the Champions League semifinal on Wednesday, and Pjanic said their chances of winning the trophy "are equally as good as all the other three sides left in the competition."

But he added that the absence of Germany international Sami Khedira through suspension for the first leg could be a setback, saying: "Sami is extremely important for us and virtually irreplaceable."

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