Juventus are still dreaming about signing Sandro Tonali next summer, but in the meantime, they could bring in Guido Rodriguez.
Luciano Spalletti has been operating with limited options in midfield, especially since Teun Koopmeiners and Weston McKennie have been deployed in other roles on the pitch. This leaves Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram are the only reliable options in the double pivot, with Fabio Miretti acting as back-up.
Hence, Damien Comolli and Marco Ottolini are searching the market for low-cost opportunities in January.
Juventus taking their before making a decision on Guido Rodriguez
In recent weeks, Rodriguez has emerged as a plausible solution. The 31-year-old has been reduced to a benchwarmer at West Ham United since the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach.
Moreover, the 2022 World Cup winner is running on an expiring contract, so the Hammers could be willing to let him go on a cut-price deal.
As reported yesterday,Juventus are biding their time before submitting an offer for the Argentine, perhaps waiting for other options to surface. On the other hand, the player is said to be keen to join the Serie A giants.
Guido Rodriguez in action for West Ham
Guido Rodriguez (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
During his appearance on Sky Sport, Italian journalist Luca Marchetti confirmed that the negotiations for Rodriguez have stalled, but he insists that the deal remains attainable if the club decides to proceed.
“The truth is that Juventus needs a midfielder in the transfer market today, even if only for squad depth, to be available to Spalletti,” said Marchetti (via TuttoJuve).
“Guido Rodriguez is one of the names being floated around Juventus. The deal is currently stalled, but if Juventus want to close it, they could do so quickly.
“This is because Juventus needs a midfielder who can plug the emergency, let’s call it that, for this transfer window.”
Juventus still hellbent on buying Sandro Tonali form Newcastle
While Rodriguez would be a temporary solution, Juve’s plan is to try to lure Tonali back to Italy after three years at Newcastle.
“In June, the big dream, as we’ve been saying for some time, is to bring Sandro Tonali back to Italy by making a major investment in the market.”
The Magpies splashed circa €70 million to buy the 25-year-old from Milan in the summer of 2023, and some sources believe they’re requesting at least €100 million to part ways with the midfielder, who is considered a pillar in Eddie Howe’s playing system.
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Michel Sakr
Michel is a football journalist based in Beirut who has been a die-hard Juventus supporter since 1996. He is a Law graduate and a member of the Beirut Bar Association. In addition to writing for Juve FC, he is also the Head Writer for The Laziali and a Featured Writer on other websites including Stretty News, and The Cult of Calcio.