Juventus Seek Opening for Olympique Marseille Stalwart | OneFootball

Juventus are looking for defensive help, and Igor Tudor has indicated Leonardo Balerdi as the number one target. He coached him for a campaign at Olympique Marseille. However, it won’t be easy to convince the French side to sell, La Gazzetta dello Sport informs.

The Croatian coach used him as a left ‘braccetto,’ while Roberto De Zerbi has been deploying him as the anchor of his three-man defense, where he displayed strong ball-handling skills.

Balerdi is basically untouchable for Olympique Marseille, but Juventus won’t go give up without a fight. The Bianconeri could offer a swap, perhaps involving Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula, Mediaset reports (via Blasting News). They were supposed to move to Nottingham Forest, but they nixed the destination. The French side could be keener on Nicolas Gonzalez, who’s not a lock to stay in Turin.

The Old Lady also has other names on its radar. They have been offered Nayef Aguerd, who’s back at West Ham after a loan spell at Real Sociedad, TuttoSport informs. They are among the teams that have inquired about Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi, Corriere dello Sport informs. Plus, they are eyeing Aymeric Laporte, who wants to return to Europe.

Our Take on Juventus Eyeing Balerdi

They are going with quality over quantity this summer. The eventual return of Gleison Bremer will fix a few things, but another elite center-back is a major need, as Lloyd Kelly is a rotational piece at best. They have to sign a day-one starter, preferably but not necessarily a lefty. Perhaps David Hancko has become too expensive, but they should revisit him after they were close under their previous regime. Oumar Solet would also be a nice option, but Udinese have already sold Jaka Bijol.