Serie A has taken a break to accommodate the Qatar World Cup, but big guns in Italy, including Juventus, are busy during the mid-season halt. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 31-time Serie A champions are lining up long-term replacements for aging winger Juan Cuadrado.
At 34, Cuadrado is approaching the twilight of his illustrious playing career. The Colombia international joined Juventus in 2017 and has since gone from strength to strength in Turin. Having established himself as one of the most consistent performers in Serie A, he’s been the beating heart of this Bianconeri team for almost half a decade.
However, given his age, Massimiliano Allegri’s men are on the lookout for long-term options, with Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Meunier and Real Madrid’s Alvaro Odroizola emerging as potential targets. While landing the Belgian wing-back may prove daunting as the Bundesliga giants keep him in high esteem, the Spaniard could be a reasonable choice.
Odriozola did well in Serie A last season while on loan at Fiorentina. The 26-year-old racked up 25 league appearances for La Viola in 2022/23. But a lack of funds saw the Italian outfit fail to turn his move from Madrid permanent in the summer. Instead, he went back to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Unfortunately for Odriozola, he has never been part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans in the Spanish capital. Since he has yet to make a single minute for Los Merengues this season, he’s widely expected to wave goodbye to La Liga in the January transfer window.
With Madrid inclined to let him leave, Juventus may have a golden opportunity to reinforce the right-wing position without splurging a large amount of money. Known for their capacity to pull off such deals, the Italians look to be in a prime position to sign Odriozola.
Odriozola is not the only Madrid outcast approached by Juventus, with the Bianconeri joining the race for out-of-sorts Eden Hazard.