Juventus Eye Parma and Olympique Marseille Midfielders

The arrival of Luciano Spalletti exacerbated the need for Juventus to find a deep-lying midfielder, and while Sporting CP’s Morten Hjulmand remains in their crosshairs, he’s very pricey, while Parma’s Adrian Bernabé and Olympique Marseille’s Pierre-Emilie Hojbjerg are more affordable targets, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

The coach has handed the keys to Manuel Locatelli for now. He’s not the biggest fan of the veteran, who was often left out of the call-ups while he was helming Italy.

Bernabé is a new target for Juventus, while Hojbjerg has been linked to them a few times when he was at Tottenham, but he transferred to France in July of 2024, first on loan and then permanently for €13.5M.

He’s been a linchpin, but the Bianconeri could offer a player who could persuade Olympique Marseille, Locatelli himself, whom Roberto De Zerbi groomed during his time at Sassuolo.

Instead, the Spanish talent is more similar to the players previously utilized by Spalletti at the position. He’s been at Parma since 2021. His contract is low and expires in 18 months. Therefore, a worthy offer could be successful.

Our Take on Juventus Tracking Hojbjerg and Bernabé

While they should definitely try something new in the role, the former isn’t a purely technical player, and they need a sheer addition rather than a swap. The Gialloblù starlet is still a project as a ‘regista,’ as he’s been more convincing in different roles. He has the traits to pan out in the long run. However, it’s always tough to convince a minnow to sell a cornerstone midseason. There’s a non-zero chance Teun Koopmeiners will end up being the answer once they recover some pieces in the back.