Reports: Manchester United target Raul Jimenez close to joining Juventus for €80m
Italian champions Juventus have won the race for Manchester United target Raul Jimenez, as per reports in Spain. The Mexican international is reportedly set to join the Bianconeri for a fee of €80m.
Juventus recently sealed their ninth consecutive Scudetto title with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria. They have been linked with several moves in the upcoming window, with Jimenez being one of their targets. The Bianconeri are said to be in for a revamp in attack to replace the ageing (and evidently declining) Gonzalo Higuain.
Maurizio Sarri's men have already completed the signing of Arthur from Juventus in a deal that saw Miralem Pjanic go the other way. Now, they seem to have wrapped up a deal for Jimenez as well.
Manchester United or Juventus: Where is Jimenez headed?
On Thursday, Portuguese outlets A Bola and RTP (both via Sports Witness) claimed that the South American star was 'on his way' to Manchester United.
The high-flying Wolves have reportedly triggered the €30m release clause of Braga sensation Paulinho. The Portuguese forward is seen as a replacement for the Manchester United target, who is expected to depart amidst interest from Europe's elite clubs.
The Braga star has scored 25 goals and set up nine assists in 48 games across all competitions in the 2019/20 campaign in Portugal.
The likes of Real Madrid aren't likely to oversee massive expenditure and Barcelona are not in the market for an experienced centre-forward. This leaves a free run at Jimenez for Manchester United and Juventus, two clubs who have already registered their interest in Jimenez.
It would be a difficult and, not to mention, an expensive operation to lure Jimenez away from the Molineux as the Mexican has three years left on his current deal. His move to Wolves from SL Benfica was made permanent just last summer for a reported fee of €38m. Nuno Espirito Santo's side likely to demand upwards of double the fee they paid for him after his stellar performances in the Premier League.
The Juventus and Manchester United target has racked up 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions for Wolves, garnering the attention of several clubs. He is an expert target man who excels in linking up play between his teammates in the final third. His sheer strength to hold up the ball, combined with an excellent reading of the game, ensure that he can thrive in multiple leagues and systems.
It remains to be seen where Jimenez is heading, given that Wolves are already close to Braga's Paulinho. It is unlikely that the Portuguese forward is on his way to the Premier League to be a back-up option after his splendid season.
Should Jimenez make the move to Juventus, he will become the most expensive Mexican player of all time.
Also read: Wolves star Raul Jimenez on the verge of joining Manchester United