Reports: Juventus eyeing another lucrative swap deal with Barcelona
Juventus and Barcelona caught the headlines last season when they completed a major swap deal which saw Arthur Melo go to Turin and Miralem Pjanic move to the Camp Nou. Juventus are now reportedly interested in swapping Federico Bernadeschi for Ousmane Dembele, according to Tuttosport.
Federico Bernadeschi has fallen out of favor at Juventus since his move from Fiorentina in 2017. The Italian enjoyed a fruitful first season at Juventus but is struggling to make an impact at the club due to the heavy competition for places.
The 26-year-old has managed to score just 10 goals and assist 15 others in 112 appearances for Juventus, a meager return for a winger playing in one of the biggest clubs in Europe. Given that his numbers are well bellow par, this season could be his last chance to impress new boss Andrea Pirlo.
Ousmane Dembele, like Bernadeschi, has failed to make an impact at Barcelona after his big money move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. The French winger has shown glimpses of his quality for the Catalan giants, but has failed to maintain regular fitness which has limited his game time.
Dembele-Bernadeschi swap deal seems highly unlikely for Barcelona and Juventus but cannot be ruled out
Many Barcelona fans had expected Dembele to be the perfect replacement for Neymar Jr. This, however, affected his game and he instead became a scapegoat at the club. His regular injuries and attitude problems have made Barcelona regret buying him.
The Blaugrana tried to sell off Dembele in the summer, with Manchester United eager to sign the Frenchman. However, United were only interested in signing him on loan, whereas Barcelona wanted an outright sale.
Dembele has now decided to stay at Barcelona and fight for his place. The 23-year-old has made a promising start to the new campaign, which may hurt Barcelona's chances of securing a swap deal, or pursuing top target Memphis Depay in January.
With Josep Bartomeu's recent exit, it also looks unlikely that Barcelona would consider this swap deal, especially as new manager Ronald Koeman has included Dembele in his plans for the club.
The Dutchman believes he can get the best out of the French youngster and might choose to show faith in Dembele, dropping interest in Bernadeschi and Depay.
Juventus on the other hand may be wary of Dembele's injury ridden past and disciplinary problems. The Italian giants have already invested in two new wingers - Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski - this summer, meaning that the signing of Dembele is not an immediate requirement.
Juventus will, however, be looking to get Bernadeschi off their books.