Juventus are reportedly on the cusp of agreeing upon a complex swap deal with Aston Villa and bringing Douglas Luiz to Serie A. However, the Brazilian’s likely arrival will not deter the Turin heavyweights from pursuing the signature of Atalanta talisman Teun Koopmeiners.
Koopmeiners has long been one of the club’s top midfield targets. But after coming one step away from landing Luiz, talks over the Dutchman’s switch to the Allianz Stadium have gone quiet.
While many expected Juventus to drop their interest in the 26-year-old, the two deals aren’t mutually exclusive. Per Gianluca Di Marzio via TMW, they remain committed to signing Koopmeiners, irrespective of their quest to lure Luiz away from Villa Park.
As Juventus refuse to give up on their hopes of taking the Dutch star to Turin, wild speculation over Adrien Rabiot’s future continues to make the headlines. The Frenchman’s contract runs out at the end of the month, and he seems closer to cutting short his spell in Piedmont.
Milan have recently made contact with Rabiot’s camp to display their interest. Though Juventus remain hopeful of convincing their vice-captain to pledge his future to the club, negotiations with his mother-agent, Veronique, have hit a stalemate.
If Rabiot decides against staying at Juventus, Koopmeiners’ arrival would make even more sense. But even if he pens a new deal, it wouldn’t diminish the Bianconeri’s interest in the former AZ Alkmaar playmaker.
New manager Thiago Motta would ideally have all three stars at his disposal next term as Juventus bid to return to the Scudetto picture after a disappointing four-year period.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |