Nahuel Molina, who played 68 matches for Udinese over two seasons, could be on the move from Atletico Madrid this summer.
Juventus are among the Italian teams monitoring the progress of the 27-year-old right-back, with Liverpool and Newcastle United also showing serious interest.
A move to either Juve, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Napoli and Newcastle for Molina is viable, as all five clubs will be competing in next season’s Champions League.
Pecking order
The Argentina international, who won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has lost prominence in the long-term plans of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone's plans.
Simeone, who involved Molina in 30 La Liga games but only gave him nine 90-minute run-outs, will evaluate the situation over the coming weeks.
Having finished third in La Liga, behind champions Barcelona and league title also-rans Real Madrid, the club is exploring the transfer market for right-backs.
If there appears to be an upgrade for Molina, they will entertain a proposal of at least €25 million (US$28.5m) to allow him to return to the Italian top tier.
Tackling trophies
The defender, who can also revert to right midfielder, would only contemplate joining a European club with the potential to compete for trophies.
Although Molina enjoyed his previous stint with Udinese, and now a trio of Italian giants are monitoring him, the Premier League could be more appealing.
Liverpool's interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s right-back Jeremie Frimpong, as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, could potentially give Newcastle an advantage in their pursuit of Molina.
Yet it could also steer Molina towards Juventus, if he is convinced by whoever has been appointed as permanent head coach for the 2025/26 Serie A campaign.