Catania expect to lose duo

Catania have admitted it will be difficult to keep Matias Silvestre and Maxi Lopez at the club beyond the summer.

Lopez: Set for summer switch

Argentine defender Silvestre has earned rave reviews for his performances in Serie A this season and Catania general manager Pietro Lo Monaco concedes there is a lot of interest.

Lo Monaco feels the time is right for the 26-year-old to embark on a new challenge and is resigned to losing his services.

"Silvestre deserves an important stage and it will be very difficult for us to keep hold of him, so I think this will be his last year at Catania," Lo Monaco told Radio Blu.

"His price tag will be set at the right time. I can only say that there are two or three teams who want him."

English interest

Lopez's future has been the subject of speculation for some time, with a number of English teams previously connected with the striker.

And Lo Monaco accepts that he too is likely to be on the move when the transfer window reopens, saying: "The same issue as Silvestre applies to Maxi Lopez.

"He has the right to play for a big club and he will leave at the end of the season."

Catania are currently five points above the relegation zone in Serie A with six games of the season remaining.