Juventus ‘make contact’ over £24.1m Jhon Lucumí deal as Barcelona monitor | OneFootball

Former Sunderland target Jhon Lucumí is attracting Juventus, with Sky Sport Italia reporting the club have made contact over a deal for the Bologna centre-back, who has a €28million release clause active until mid-July, around £24.1million.

Sunderland made a firm push to sign the Colombia international after promotion to the Premier League, submitting official bids and wage proposals. He was believed to be open to the move at one stage.

Bologna, having lost other key defenders, were reluctant to sanction a sale and the deal collapsed. Sunderland chose not to revisit it in January. Barcelona have also been credited with monitoring his situation.

The clause could make the 27-year-old an appealing option for defensive reinforcements this summer. Lucumí has one year remaining on his contract, so this may be Bologna’s last realistic chance to command a significant fee.

Lucumí joined Bologna from Genk in 2022 and has become one of their key players. He has made 149 appearances, won the Coppa Italia in 2024-25 and helped secure Champions League qualification.

This season he posted a team-high 168 defensive contributions in Serie A, averaging 1.4 interceptions and 0.5 blocks per 90 minutes, ranking first and second respectively among Bologna players.

Source: Sunderland Echo