Juventus ‘to sign’ free agent keeper as Grabara cover, Neto ahead of Rico and Cillessen | OneFootball

Juventus have turned to the free agent market after Kamil Grabara suffered a serious setback, seeking immediate cover for Guglielmo Vicario.

Corriere dello Sport reports that a three-man shortlist of unattached goalkeepers features Neto, Sergio Rico and Jasper Cillessen, with a resolution sought within 48 hours. The Brazilian is currently viewed as the frontrunner.

Neto, 37, left Botafogo in May and knows Serie A and Juventus well. He spent four and a half seasons at Fiorentina, joined Juve in 2015, played 22 games and lifted two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles and one Italian Super Cup as Gianluigi Buffon’s deputy.

Behind him is Sergio Rico, with Cillessen considered a third option. The Dutchman, also 37, is a free agent after his spell at NEC Nijmegen, the club that formed him and which Juventus met recently in European competition.

His Serie A familiarity, past in Turin and immediate availability are attractive as Juventus work against the clock to reinforce the position.

Neto joined Valencia in 2017 from Juventus, quickly became Marcelino’s first choice and helped the club back into the Champions League. He stayed two seasons, won the 2019 Copa del Rey in the centenary year, then moved to Barcelona in the deal that sent Cillessen the other way.

Cillessen arrived at Mestalla in 2019 and spent three seasons, with injuries hampering continuity, yet he made 67 appearances before returning to NEC in 2022. Now, four years on from his Valencia farewell, his name is back on the market alongside the keeper he replaced.

Source: Superdeporte

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”