Even a potentially sagacious investment in a youngster, who could develop into something quite special, seems to be off limits for the cash-strapped Bianconeri.
Premier League champions Liverpool, the pair of Milan clubs, Juventus and Napoli are all showing serious interest in Parma’s 18-year-old center-back Giovanni Leoni.
Cristian Chivu handed Leoni his Serie A debut last November, with the rising star making 17 top tier appearances. He played a significant role in helping the club avoid relegation, and was on the winning side when Parma stunned Juventus 1-0 in April.
Chivu has taken over from former Juventus managerial target Simone Inzaghi at Champions League runners up Inter, and eagerly wants to entice Leoni to join him at the San Siro.
Ex-Juventus managers in the mix
Former Juve bosses Max Allegri (AC Milan) and Antonio Conte (Napoli) are also keen to land the teenager, who is two-footed and models his game on Netherlands ace Virgil van Dijk.
Leoni could soon be lining up alongside his hero Van Dijk, if Liverpool decide to sell Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid this summer.
Although Parma have rapidly increased their valuation of Leoni to €40 million (US$46.5m), clubs are only willing to pay a maximum 75% of this amount.
Leoni constantly monitored
Juventus have been following the Rome-born ace for some time, and showed immense interest when Leoni’s asking price was just €15m (US$17.4m). It seems that his latest quotation is way out of their current financial budget.
Other Serie A sides lead Juventus in the race to sign a player who has impressed at U18 and U19 levels for Italy. Leoni is anticipated to excel at senior level with the Azzurri in the near future, so would be quite a coup even with such a high price tag.
Juve’s promised summer revamp to bolster the Bianconeri under head coach Igor Tudor has yet to materialize. Only the potential return of winger Francisco Conceicao from FC Porto, on a permanent basis following last term's successful season-long loan, seems on the cards.
Rumor mills about expensive reinforcements appear to be unwarranted speculation, and now even players who have only one Serie A season under their belt are seemingly out of reach for Juventus.