On top of the drubbing suffered in Champions League, more bad news for Juventus are coming from London. Chelsea are firmly in the lead in the race for Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. The Bianconeri tried to get him in the summer, but the French club did not want to sell.
According to Tuttosport, the Blues could blow away the competition with a €60M offer. The side of the Principality has yet to open to his departure and has reservations about doing so especially in the upcoming window. In addition to Chelsea, also Liverpool, Newcastle, and Tottenham are eyeing the player. Juventus will not be able to compete financially with the Premier League giants.
The Bianconeri have long admired the performances of Tchouameni, but they will likely have to look elsewhere to bolster their midfield. Massimiliano Allegri would rather add a veteran, while the management prefers bringing in a youngster, Calciomercato.com reports. Denis Zakaria would be an ideal profile, but Roma, Liverpool, and Manchester City are keen on him too. And it is not certain Borussia Moenchengladbach will let him go in January despite his expiring contract.
Besides Axel Witsel, Juventus are keeping tabs on a few potential alternatives. Roma’s Gonzalo Villar and PSG’s Leandro Paredes could be candidates to join on loan. They received good reports on Manu Koné too from their scouts following Zakaria. Moreover, the Bianconeri have been linked to Boubacar Kamara and Jens Cajuste. According to Tuttosport, Midtjylland turned down a €13M offer from Leeds United for him last summer.