As Andrea Pirlo’s striker search continues, who is best for Juventus?

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo cannot make it much clearer for the board – he is frantically trying to sign a striker before the transfer window closes.

‘I need the striker as soon as possible,’ he told Sky Sport Italia after a friendly win against Novara on Sunday. ‘But the market is long. There will be time to be able to work until October 4.’ 

As the latest Serie A season approaches and with the club under a new leader who holds legendary status at the club, there is pressure to perform and hit the ground running for Pirlo, with his toughest task coming before the season has even begun in finding a strike partner for Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo’s faces a mad dash to sign a striker before the window closes

Pirlo is looking to find a strike partner for Cristiano Ronaldo and is linked with some big names

The club’s only other natural No 9 Gonzalo Higuain was released on Thursday, with latest reports suggesting he is on the brink of a move to David Beckham’s Inter Miami to join forces with former team-mate Blaise Matuidi in the MLS.  

Whilst Ronaldo appears to not be slowing down with age, Pirlo finds himself light with attacking options as Paulo Dybala, Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi are all more natural sitting behind the striker or out wide.

Some of Europe’s elite frontmen are on the radar and, with that in mind, Sportsmail looks at which striker would suit a move to Juventus the best. 

Luis Suarez

The Barcelona forward has become one of the big names to be thrown aside by new manager Ronald Koeman. 

The Uruguayan is now on the hunt for a move to another top club after Koeman told the striker he was not part of his plans moving forward in a brutal 60-second phone call.

If Suarez can get a deal over the line, with reports suggesting that personal terms appear to be the final hurdle, then he would fit well in the 3-5-2 system that many Italian outlets believe Pirlo will implement going forward. 

Luis Suarez is on his way out of Barcelona and would work very well up front with Ronaldo

He is a natural finisher, lacking somewhat in the pace department these days, contrary to his Liverpool days, but he has gained experience that has seen him develop into a more calculated striker. 

With pacey and skilful players all around him, Suarez could act as a focal point for the attack as he is effective with his back to goal as well as anywhere inside or around the box.

With Ronaldo, it would work. The pair have slightly different attributes and strengths that would compliment each other rather than be a hindrance to their games. He has a proven track record of goalscoring and winning trophies with Barcelona and would be a fantastic addition to Juventus. 

Alvaro Morata

The Spanish striker has cut a frustrated figure of late in the Atletico Madrid camp having played second fiddle to Diego Costa last season. 

Pirlo recently tabled a bid for Morata, who he played alongside during their 2014-15 spell in Turin, but…