Merih Demiral is reportedly keen on leaving Juventus this summer with a whole host of clubs interesting in acquiring the services of the Turkish centre-half.
The aggressive defender has displayed glimpses of his unique talent in Turin following his £16m move from Sassuolo in 2019, but injuries have prevented Demiral from blossoming consistently in Bianconeri colours.
The 23-year-old made just eight appearances in all competitions during his debut campaign before notching a mere 934 minutes of Serie A action under Andrea Pirlo last season. Matthijs de Ligt and Giorgio Chiellini established themselves as Il Maestro’s favoured centre-back pairing by the end of the campaign, with opportunities coming few and far between for the talented Demiral.
The defender is now supposedly open to departing Juve this summer.
What’s been reported?
.@Merihdemiral al J Medical // #Demiral at J Medical 🇹🇷⚪️⚫️@GoalItalia pic.twitter.com/4nntVPTHfZ
— Romeo Agresti (@romeoagresti) July 20, 2021
Demiral returned to Continassa on Tuesday morning to undergo medical examinations after the first-team squad began pre-season training last week.
However, Calciomercato.com reports that Demiral’s return to Turin could be short-lived. The player has made it clear to his agents since returning from Turkey’s dismal Euro 2020 campaign that he wants to leave the club in the ongoing transfer window.
Massimiliano Allegri is set to place his faith in veterans Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci for the upcoming campaign as partners for de Ligt, leaving Demiral fourth in the depth chart once again. The Turkish international understandably wants regular first-team football.
Juve’s demands
While refinement is necessary, there’s no denying the potential of the proactive Demiral and Juventus won’t let him go cheap if he is to move on this summer.
The Bianconeri have demanded at least €30m for the defender’s services, an asking price that Demiral’s agents regard as extortionate considering the depreciation of the current market.
Who are interested?
Several clubs have been touted as possessing an interest in the 23-year-old, although the current strongest candidates appear to be Tottenham and Everton from the Premier League, as well as Atalanta. Manchester United, meanwhile, have held an interest in the past but their attentions have turned to Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane.
Calciomercato.com understand both Premier League clubs are considering a move, while Atalanta may require a Cristian Romero replacement, with Spurs discussing a potential deal with La Dea for the Argentine.
Juventus also have the option of using Demiral in a swap deal to conclude to Manuel Locatelli transfer saga, but such a deal appears unlikely.