The center-back, who joined Empoli a year ago for €500,000 (US$518,000) from Georgian club Torpedo Kutaisi, has been such a hit in Serie A that he’s now valued at €8 million (US$8.3m).
Juventus are urgently attempting to secure another defender before the transfer window shuts on 3 February. The young Georgian is on their radar as back-up if the loan for Kevin Danso from Lens fails to materialise.
The Bianconeri have been showing a keen interest in Goglichidze for a couple of months, while Atalanta and Inter Milan have also been heavily linked with signing the 20-year-old. All three teams could offer him the lure of Champions League football, although he would probably miss out at Inter.
Atalanta’s defensive pillar is injury-ravaged, which includes a season-ending injury to Giorgio Scalvini, so head coach Gian Piero Gasperini seems eager to act swiftly.
Goglichidze impressed in late October against Inter, despite finishing on the losing side and being shown the red card on the half-hour mark. He was constantly winning his one-to-one battle with Rafael Leao during his brief appearance.
Inter’s plan is believed to purchase the Georgian international during the current transfer window, but allow him to go immediately on loan to Empoli until the end of the season.
Juventus would want Goglichidze in their squad if they signed him. The Bianconeri fans are currently giving head coach Thiago Motta a rough time following back-to-back defeats. The 42-year-old must realise how important it is to finalise their defensive plans before the transfer window closes, which should calm down the waves of criticism.
Goglichidze has a golden opportunity to prove to Motta what he could bring to Juve with Empoli’s visit to Turin. If Motta sees what he likes then the timing is pretty perfect, as a verbal agreement between the player and the clubs could always be negotiated after the match.