BOLTON Wanderers have moved a step nearer finalising their ground-breaking link-up with Italian giants Juventus.

Sam Allardyce was in Turin yesterday for the latest round of talks with the Serie A champions which could give him the use of some of the most talented "reserves" in world football.

Officials of the two clubs have been working on a mutually beneficial partnership for months and are understood to be close to finalising a deal.

Benefits on both sides would be far ranging with the big incentive for Juventus being the chance to tap into the commercial expertise Reebok chiefs have developed in recent years while Wanderers could be offered fringe players who cannot break into Marcello Lippi's side.

There is no reserve team structure in Italy, where players out of the first team picture have little or no opportunity to maintain their match fitness.

Allardyce, who was wrongly reported by some publications to be in France having talks with Youri Djorkaeff, is excited at the prospect of securing a partnership with one of the world's most famous clubs.

"They are the champions of Italy and it would be a fantastic coup for the club if a link-up could be established," he said.

Djorkaeff, back in France after playing a bit-part in their ill-fated World Cup campaign, is still the number one transfer target Allardyce has set his sights on landing as he plans for next season.

The veteran of France's World and European Cup successes of 98 and 2000, played only 72 disappointing minutes of the three Group A games but showed enough class in his 13 games for Wanderers last season to convince the manager that he could be central to his plans for a second successive Premiership campaign.