The Bianconeri are seeking to reinforce their squad, but still need to let players leave to finance more transfers as the club are cash-strapped this summer.
Atletico Madrid defender Nahuel Molina, a World Cup winner with Argentina three years ago, has been hotly pursued by Juve. With striker Dusan Vlahovic failing to land a Premier League move despite his agent visiting England for talks with leading clubs, a potential exchange could be on the cards
Juventus have been strongly linked to right-back Molina over the years, but the 27-year-old picked La Liga over in 2022 where he has made 135 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side.
With former Juve target Marc Pubill arriving at Atletico from Almeria, Molina could be offloaded as the club currently exceeds the limit with four non-EU players.
Serie A regulations only permit teams to sign two non-EU players in each transfer window, with one signing can only be registered if a non-EU player leaves the club.
Canada international Jonathan David arrived in early July, leaving only one slot remaining and US star Timothy Weah in advanced negotiations to join Olympique Marseille.
Yet Molina is in the process of obtaining Spanish citizenship, which if granted would resolve this issue over non-EU players at Atletico.
Trio chase ex-Udinese star
Napoli have joined Juventus and Villarreal in the hunt for the former Udinese ace, who has a price tag of just €20m (US$23.3m). This is around the same cut-price figure that Juve would accept to get Vlahovic off their books, as he is the highest earner in Serie A with a steep salary.
A straight swap could suit both teams, especially as Atletico tried to sign him when he was at Fiorentina. Vlahovic turned down approaches from the Spanish giants and Arsenal to switch Serie A teams in January 2022.
The 25-year-old has finished as Juve’s top scorer in all three seasons with the Italian giants, and has constantly turned down moves to both the Saudi Pro League and Turkish Super Lig this year.
Talks have stalled about a contract extension with the Bianconeri, as the club proposed a substantial drop in salary. This resulted in Vlahovic adamant that he prefers to ply his trade in the cash-rich Premier League.
Vlahovic has been digging his heels in at Juventus, which is a dangerous game to play with next year’s FIFA World Cup finals. He needs to play regularly to secure his selection for Serbia.
Showdown talks over Vlahovic
Vlahovic’s agent Darko Ristic has turned his attention to meeting the Juventus hierarchy this week to discuss his client’s future with the Turin titans.
It appears that either a move to Atletico, if a swap can be brokered, or being reunited with former Juve boss Max Allegri at AC Milan remains a viable option despite a dramatic wage cut.
Molina, who has over 50 international caps, has only been placed on the list of possible exits from the Colchoneros.
As he can also be implemented as a right midfielder or a right winger, his ability to switch from offensive depth to defensive solidity would tick all of the boxes for head coach Igor Tudor with Alberto Costa gone and Weah about to depart.