With Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli under the cosh for putting too much faith into Project Motta, having allowed Thiago Motta a free hand when it came to transfers and loans, the club may cut their losses with high-earners Douglas Luiz and Dusan Vlahovic.
The pair could be cashed in, although a deal with Premier League Newcastle may transpire. A potential exit of Luiz in a part-cash exchange for Tonali is part of the planned summer overhaul by Giuntoli. Newcastle were previously interested in signing the Manchester City reject in January 2022.
However Serbia striker Vlahovic could join the equation. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who has already won the Carabao Cup to secure Europa League soccer, is deeply concerned about losing striker Alexander Isak to Arsenal for a ridiculously high fee.
Howe has Juve’s Vlahovic on his radar as a potential bargain-priced replacement, which means that an audacious summer swap involving Tonali could realistically materialise with Juve’s duo of Luiz and Vlahovic moving to Newcastle.
Tonali turns on the style
Tonali, whose exploits at AC Milan alerted cash-rich Newcastle to his talents, has bounced back with aplomb after missing 10 months because of a betting ban slapped on him by Italian soccer authorities.
His eye-catching displays, having been utilised in a deeper midfielder role this season by Howe, have not gone unnoticed by a plethora of teams including Juventus.
Much will hinge on offering Tonali Champions League soccer next term. Fifth-placed Newcastle are in the mix to qualify with a Premier League top four finish.
Although finishing fifth could propel them to Europe’s top club competition should Aston Villa, Manchester City or Nottingham Forest lift the FA Cup and finish above Howe’s team. The trio are in the semi-finals, along with Crystal Palace.
Premier League clubs chase Juventus duo
Aside from Newcastle there are other Premier League clubs plotting a potential move for former Aston Villa ace Luiz, despite the Brazilian having failed to replicate his form for the Bianconeri, and Serie A’s highest paid player Vlahovic.
Luiz has experienced an injury-hampered season, playing under 500 minutes in his 15 Serie A appearances. He is back in contention, following a hamstring injury, for the AS Roma showdown under recently-installed interim head coach Igor Tudor.
Yet the Rio de Janeiro-born 26-year-old could be benched like he was for the early February league meeting with Empoli, as Tudor needs his troops firing on all cylinders for the mouth-watering match.
Although Luiz has a history of scoring goals, he may be overlooked as a starter because he has yet to find the back of the net in Serie A.
Pointing towards the Champions League
Juventus are in need of precious Serie A points if they want to play Champions League soccer next term, which only a top four finish guarantees.
Claudio Ranieri’s Roma are also in the mix for Europe’s top club competition. If they can register a victory by at least a two-goal margin on Sunday, then Roma would leapfrog Juve to sit in fifth place.
Creative midfielder Luiz, whose last appearance was a 20-minute stint in the hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Cagliari in late February, has only eight Serie A matches to impress Tudor.
If Tudor can steer the Italian giants to a Champions League berth, then the former Juve defender and ex-Juventus assistant manager could be handed the reins to tackle next season with Luiz potentially part of his plans.
Luiz, who last summer signed a five-year contract with the Italian giants worth €4.5 million (US$4.95m) a season, has seen his valuation halve to a current price tag of just €30m (US$32.95m).
That seems a snip for any leading Premier League side, so understandably there is interest from English clubs with the Villains, Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle and West Ham United among the Brazilian’s admirers.
Yet Newcastle seems the most likely as Juventus would be interested in a part-cash swap deal, as OldJuve lovingly reported on St. Valentine’s Day.
Luiz yet to adjust to Italian league
Luiz has been slowly adjusting to life in Italy, with his silky skills only seen once in a Juventus jersey. He played the full match as Juventus saw off PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League play-off first leg, but a spate of injuries have derailed him truly kick-starting his Juve career.
Tonali outshone Luiz on his Newcastle debut. Having joined the Magpies for €65m (US$71.5m) in 2023, the Italy international swiftly became a fan favorite after scoring in the 2023/24 season-opener against Aston Villa. He scored from close range on six minutes, with Luiz shown a yellow card immediately after the goal.
Lombardy-born Tonali is no stranger to Juventus, with the Bianconeri’s bid to sign the midfielder during his Serie A stint with Brescia Calcio. He opted for AC Milan, making 130 appearances before switching to the Premier League to become a shining star at Newcastle.
The lure of tackling the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals, which kick-off in mid-June, may be enough to tempt Tonali to Juventus. Although the uncertainty surrounding who next season’s head coach with the Turin titans could delay any decision.