Why Juventus won’t be able to swap left backs with Chelsea

Another day, another rumor. And this latest one involves Juventus left back Alex Sandro, who could very well be playing for a new team in the 2021-2022 season if the Bianconeri can find the right offer for the experienced defender.

It’s not that Sandro is a bad player. He is still OK and can be effective in a more defensive role. The problem is that now that he’s older, the Brazilian is no longer good enough to start at left back for Juventus. He is too slow getting back defensively, and he offers very little offensively. Juve need an upgrade in the XI.

According to Calciomercato.com’s Nicola Balice, a possible solution for Juventus is to trade Alex Sandro to Chelsea for Italian international Emerson Palmieri, who is expendable to the Blues. Emerson has been linked with the Bianconeri for several months, going back to last summer when it seemed like he was squarely on Juve’s radar.

Emerson won’t blow Juventini away, but he’s probably a better option for the club than Sandro. He is quicker and offers more in the attack. Although he barely plays for Chelsea, he’s not a bad player by any means, even if he’s a few steps below the quality of an ideal Juventus starter. And an ideal starter at this club is someone on par with the quality Alex Sandro showed in his prime.

Why would Chelsea want Alex Sandro from Juventus?

Balice writes that Thomas Tuchel is a fan of Sandro’s, as he nearly signed him for PSG a couple of years ago.

But I’m not convinced Chelsea would be interested. Juventus, as the report notes, would have a key incentive to make this swap, even if they viewed both players as equal in talent. Sandro makes twice as much money as Emerson, so saving money on the wage bill would be a big plus for Juve. While the Blues are not hit as hard financially by the pandemic, they are still being hit. So why would they want to be on the wrong end of things financially?

Chelsea have major ambitions in the Premier League and Champions League, just as Juve do. They have Tuchel as their manager now and made major attacking investments last summer with Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz. And now, they must beef up their defense more.

So why would they settle for a player who isn’t good enough for Juventus? The Bianconeri were knocked out of the Round of 16 by Porto, whereas Chelsea are through to the semifinals after eliminating Porto.

I don’t see this swap happening. It would be a decent deal for Juventus, but it would make no sense for Chelsea to waste their time and money acquiring Sandro at this stage of his career. The Blues will be aiming higher.