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

Former Sunderland target Lucumí has returned to the transfer spotlight, with Juventus interested.

According to Sky Sport Italia, Juventus have made contact regarding a potential deal for the 27-year-old centre-back, who has a €28 million release clause valid until mid-July, roughly £24.1 million.

After promotion to the Premier League, Sunderland made official bids and tabled wage terms, and Lucumí was open at one stage. Bologna were unwilling to sanction an exit after losing other key defenders, so the move collapsed. The club chose not to revive talks in January.

He joined Bologna from Genk in 2022 and has since become pivotal. He has made 149 appearances, winning the Coppa Italia in 2024-25 and helping secure Champions League qualification.

This season he leads Bologna for defensive contributions with 168 in Serie A, and averages 1.4 interceptions and 0.5 blocks per 90 minutes. Those figures rank first and second respectively among team-mates.

With one year left on his contract, Bologna face a familiar decision unless a new deal is agreed. European interest is growing, and Barcelona have been credited with monitoring his situation. His agent has previously said he is settled in Italy and focused on Bologna.

A strong World Cup with Colombia could further stimulate interest and affect his market value.

Source: Sunderland Echo