Espanyol joins Serie A duo in the race for fringe Juventus defender | OneFootball

Juventus defender Facundo Gonzalez reportedly has a new suitor in the shape of Espanyol who are now involved in a three-horse race for the player’s services.

The Bianconeri signed the Uruguayan in the summer of 2023 from Valencia on a cut price before immediately loaning him out to Sampdoria.

The 22-year-old managed to impress in Serie B, which earned him a more prestigious stint at Feyenoord. However, Gonzalez failed to cement himself as a regular starter in Rotterdam, only making six appearances in the Dutch top flight.

Espanyol set sights on Juventus defender Facundo Gonzalez

The Uruguay international has now returned to Continassa, but Igor Tudor has made it evidently clear that the defender isn’t part of his plans for the upcoming campaign. Therefore, the player is now set to leave Juventus once again, and perhaps for good this time.

According to Tuttosport via IlBianconero, Espanyol have now entered the fray for Gonzalez, as they aim to bring the left-footed defender back to Spain.

(Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the LaLiga boys could face competition from two Serie A clubs, especially Genoa who have been monitoring the player for quite some time.

Genoa & Parma also following Gonzalez with great interest

The Grifone have a habit of poaching young defenders who can’t find space at Juventus, and then developing them before registering a large profit from their sale. They have already accomplished this manoeuvre with Radu Dragusin who ended up signing for Spurs, and could replicate it this summer with Koni De Winter.

The Belgian defender could soon emerge as a target for Milan who have agreed to sell Malick Thiaw to Newcastle United, and will be searching the market for a new defender. The domino effect could prompt Genoa to accelerate their attempts to lure Gonzalez from Juventus.

Finally, Parma are also keeping an eye on the Uruguay international, especially if they end up selling Giovanni Leoni to Inter.

The Turin-based newspaper also reveals that Juventus have set their asking price for Gonzalez at €5-6 million. The player’s contract with the Bianconeri will expire next June, so they’ll be eager to find a permanent solution this summer.