Juventus are set to beat Chelsea in the race for Marek Hamsik after reports claimed Juve were close to a deal with Napoli.

According to a report in La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the Slovakian international may follow his girlfriend to Turin.

The midfielder's partner is a handball player for the Napoli-based Pdo Campania team. However, sources close to her have recently linked her with a switch to play for a team in Turin.

This has led to rife speculation that Hamsik will move north with his girlfriend if she does go in that direction. The Gazzetta implies that Juventus are keeping their eyes open with a plan to snare the player.

The Bianconeri have shown an interest in Hamsik in the past, but they will need to dig deep in order to land him. The Azzurri are unlikely to let him leave for anything less than €30 million, according to reports. In addition, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has always insisted that his prized assets were not for sale at any price.

Italy's Corriere Dello Sport newspaper said that Chelsea Football Club have also been following Hamsik's progress since last January. Marek Hamsik's agent however has refused to comment on speculation suggesting Chelsea are set to lodge a bid for the highly-rated midfielder.