Axel Witsel is prepared to wait for a move away from Zenit after Juventus' attempts to sign the Belgium international ended in failure on Wednesday.

Witsel has been linked with a host of clubs after impressing in Russia, with Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Chelsea reportedly at the front of the queue.

Inter, Napoli and Roma were also thought to be interested in the 27-year-old but Juve emerged as the favourites as the deadline approached.

The Serie A champions were thought to have agreed a deal with Zenit but Witsel was not allowed to undergo a medical, leaving the midfielder to return to St Petersburg.

However, the former Benfica man does not seem too affected by the decision and hinted he will remain patient and hope a move can be sorted out in the future.

"The longer the wait, the bigger the reward," he posted on Twitter. "Life goes on."

Since moving to Zenit in 2012 Witsel – who has 74 caps for Belgium – has made 161 appearances, scoring 21 goals and winning the Russian Premier League title in 2014-15.