Juventus pinpoint Uruguayan defender as alternative for Balerdi

Juventus could decide to launch an attempt to sign Toluca defender Federico Pereira, especially if they were to fail in their bid to lure Olympique Marseille captain Leonardo Balerdi.

Igor Tudor has reportedly identified his former OM pupil as his ideal profile to bolster the backline, especially after losing the services of Renato Veiga who was instrumental to the manager’s plan in his first few months in charge.

Nevertheless, Juventus weren’t willing to meet Chelsea’s asking price for the Portuguese defender, so the negotiations between the two clubs never took off.

Juventus facing daunting task as OM don’t want to sell Leonardo Balerdi

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via JuventusNews24), Balerdi remains the first name on the Old Lady’s shortlist, but striking an agreement with Marseille won’t be easy.

The Ligue 1 champions are determined to keep the 26-year-old Argentinian at the Velodrome, as they don’t want to deprive Roberto De Zerbi of the services of his skipper, especially after qualifying for the Champions League.

Therefore, Juventus must keep an eye on alternative tracks, and one of them could lead to Toluca’s Pereira.

Juventus following Federico Pereira

The Uruguayan is a 25-year-old centre-back who started his career at his hometown club of Liverpool FC Montevideo. In January 2024, he signed for Mexican side Toluca on a move worth €6.3 million. He also represented Pachuca at the FIFA Club World Cup, starting in all three group-stage fixtures against Al-Hilal, Real Madrid and RB Leipzig.

The Montevideo native is originally a centre-back, but can also feature at right-back. His contract with Toluca is valid until 2028, while Transfermarkt estimates his value at €5.5 million.

It should be noted that Pereira also has an Italian passport, which would come in handy, as Juventus are planning to use their first non-EU slot of the summer transfer market on Canadian striker Jonathan David, so they will only have one slot left for a non-European player.