Juventus could technically take advantage of the possibility to bring in players from Ukraine and Russia, and a Shakhtar Donetsk staffer suggested they put Marcos Antonio under contract. The Bianconeri have not filled their extra-EU quota for the season.
Carlo Nicolini, the long-time deputy sporting director of the Roberto De Zerbi-coached team, talked up the midfielder in an interview with TuttoSport: “He would add quality and dynamism in the role. That would come in handy with Weston McKennie on the mend.” The American international is out for the season because of a foot fracture.
FIFA has suspended the contracts of the players of the two countries due to the war. They can transfer abroad by April 7th. They will head back to their current teams in June unless there are further decisions down the line.
Marcos Antonio shares some traits with the Juventus contributor. However, he is more of a passer than a box-to-box. He moved to Ukraine from Estoril Praia in 2019. He has logged 101 appearances with Shakhtar Donetsk, tallying 9 goals and five assists.
On top of linking Marcos Antonio to Juventus, Nicolini advised Atalanta to acquire Fernando: “He is our top striker. He could help them out while Duvan Zapata is unavailable.” He was one of the first players rumored to move to Italy following the special ruling. Gian Piero Gasperini downplayed such proposition in a presser: “There is this new window now. However, I think the right time to operate in the transfer market is in January and in June.”