Juventus have been linked to multiple players to bolster their midfield in January, with Rodrigo De Paul and Lazar Samardzic tipped as the most tangible targets. The Old Lady might prefer the veteran over the Udinese starlet, Alfredo Pedullà reports.
Their brass likes the Serb for the future, but they haven’t moved seriously to sign him so far. They might not do it because they wish to valorize their own talents this season. Moreover, they’d rather add somebody with more experience.
Juventus believe De Paul would address their needs better than Samardzic. It remains to be seen whether Atletico Madrid would be open to discussing his departure, though. The Argentine would like to come back to Italy.
Udinese director Federico Balzaretti told Mediaset that the talent would finish the campaign in Friuli before the Coppa Italia game versus Cagliari.
“We want to keep him until the end of the season. He’s an added value to us, and he still needs to grow. He has to find the right equilibrium to mature definitely. We want to enjoy him as long as possible. We’ll take stock next June.”
Our Take on Juventus, De Paul, and Samardzic
If that’s the front office’s thinking, they want to replace Paul Pogba rather than Nicolò Fagioli, which is understandable since it’s unknown how long the former will be suspended. But the Udinese starlet would be a lot more affordable.
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