Merih Demiral has long been viewed as the heir apparent of Juventus’ aging defenders alongside Matthijs De Ligt, but his season has not gone as expected. If he could not find some consistency in the remaining matches, the management would listen to offers for him in the summer, Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
The executives have big expectations for the Turkish center-back, especially because of his uncommon charisma at a young age. However, he has often been hindered by injuries and suspensions. He is currently nursing a thigh strain he suffered in return leg of the Porto clash.
He has featured in 24 matches thus far, for a total of 1643 minutes, where the Bianconeri have won 17 times, drawn five and lost twice, giving up 17 goals. He had some continuity early in the season while De Ligt was recovering from shoulder surgery, but not so much in 2021.
Demiral was acquired from Sassuolo in the summer of 2019 for €18M. It was reported in January that he was unhappy with his lack of playing time as had lost minutes with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini bot healthy at the time.
The impetuousness on the pitch, which he has not always been able to rein in, and the restlessness outside of it have made him lose some shine in the eyes of the decision-makers. He would be a hot commodity if put on the market, and some Premier League clubs previously showed interest, so the executives might go in that direction if he fails to impress.