Soccer-Juventus sign forward Zaza for 18 million euros

MILAN, July 7 (Reuters) - Serie A champions Juventus continued their rebuilding when they signed forward Simone Zaza from Sassuolo for 18 million euros ($19.72 million), the Turin club said on their website (www.juventus.com) on Tuesday. The powerful 24-year-old, who has five caps for Italy, scored 11 league goals last season for mid-table Sassuolo and nine in the campaign before that. Juve, who also won the Coppa Italia last term and reached the Champions League final, have already signed forwards Mario Mandzukic from Atletico Madrid, Paulo Dybala (Palermo) and midfielder Sami Khedira (Real Madrid). They have parted company with Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, their leading scorer last season, and veteran playmaker Andrea Pirlo, while forward Alessandro Matri has returned to AC Milan after the end of his loan spell. ($1 = 0.9130 euros) (Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne; editing by Ken Ferris)