Juventus: Ranking the top 5 centre midfield transfer targets

#3 Rodrigo De Paul

Close your eyes and just think for a moment of a Juventus midfield with Rodrigo De Paul in it. How are you feeling? One of the most awe-inspiring midfield outlets in Serie A, Rodrigo De Paul is on the hunt for a summer exit from Udinese this time.

Signed by Udinese from Valencia in 2016, Rodrigo De Paul has undergone a gradual yet noteworthy evolution in Italy, slowly becoming a big name in Italian football. The 26-year-old rigid midfielder played 38 games for an underperforming Udinese side last season, racking up 9 goals and 11 assists. The numbers are the true embodiment of the abilities that the Argentine possesses.

The stats, extracted from Sofascore, denotes that Rodrigo De Paul was the player to create the most “big chances” in Serie A last season. He and Atalanta’s Josip Iličić created 20 big chances, the most in the league. While there is a certainty that the signing of Rodrigo De Paul won’t disappoint anyone, it is hard to get a deal over the line.

Atletico Madrid are considered the most interested party in this De Paul chase. The Argentine is bound to Udinese’s contract until June 2024, meaning a suitor will have to pay a huge transfer fee before getting him to wear their jersey. To get an idea, Atleti, as per Football Italia, had submitted a bid reportedly of around  €25- 30 million which got immediately rejected by De Paul’s current employers.

The reports states they are holding out a price of €45 million. Don’t go, there is more to the story. Atletico Madrid are offering the playmaker the same amount of salary he gets at Udinese, which has also proved to be an obstacle for the Spanish side. If Juventus are keen on securing his services, it would be the right time for them to pounce upon the scenario. There is a lot of room to manoeuvre in a deal that could get more interesting going forward.