Hercules to lift Trezeguet from Juve: report

French striker David Trezeguet is set to leave Italian club Juventus for newly-promoted Spanish outfit Hercules Alicante, Spanish media reported on Friday.

“Hercules is one step away from carrying out one of the ‘coups’ of the summer: the transfer of Trezeguet,” the sports newspaper AS said.

Trezeguet’s agent, Antonio Caliendo, said he was “optimistic” about a deal for the 32-year-old, who has previously been linked with Liverpool and West Ham.

The Frenchman of Argentine parentage joined Juve from Monaco in 2000 after scoring the golden goal winner for France in the European Championship final against Italy that summer.

Trezeguet, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, holds the record as the club’s top foreign striker, with 172 goals in 10 seasons in all competitions.

Hercules return to Spain’s Primera Liga this season after 13 years.

The club had been suspected of buying matches in order to gain promotion, but the case was dropped after judicial authorities refused to hand over telephone wiretaps to the Spanish football federation that could have served as evidence.