Juventus News Roundup: Juve interested in Paris Saint-Germain star, Olympique Lyon name asking price for midfielder who is a Bianconeri transfer target and more - 1 March 2021
Juventus have re-ignited their interest in a Paris Saint-Germain star and he could be a great addition to their squad.
Juventus suffered a setback in their hunt for a 10th consecutive Serie A title this past weekend as they played out a draw against Hellas Verona. The Bianconeri are 10 points behind league leaders AC Milan but they do have a game in hand. There's plenty happening behind the scenes at the club as well.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Juventus from 1 March 2021.
Fabio Capello says Andrea Pirlo's team is weaker than Allegri's and Sarri's
Former Juventus player and manager Fabio Capello has offered his opinion on what he thinks the current Juventus team under Andrea Pirlo lacks as opposed to Max Allegri's and Maurizio Sarri's sides. Capello claims the Old Lady are lacking in midfield and are thus inferior to the team that played under their previous two managers.
Speaking to Sky Calcio (via TuttoSport), Capello said:
“I think it is weaker because it has less quality in midfield. He has something less in that department, I am referring to the two central midfielders (Rabiot and Bentancur).
“Of the current players, the one who made the difference is Chiesa, who in the first month and a half to two months, had a bit of difficulty in settling in, to understand where he was playing, but then he showed himself because the quality is really excellent.
“In front of the defence, Chiesa and Ronaldo make the difference, the others have not seen each other so far. The only one who plays the ball vertically is missing which is Dybala , who is the one who invents, the man who dribbles and puts the ball. Which is what Chiesa is doing.”
Olympique Lyon slaps €50 million price tag on Houssem Aouar
Juventus were heavily linked with Olympique Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar and were reportedly keen to sign him last summer. The Frenchman has garnered interest from several European giants and clubs like Arsenal and Real Madrid have also been credited with an interest in him.
Lyon could be forced to cash in on Aouar in the summer owing to the financial stress on them caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. As per Calciomercato, Olympique Lyon won't settle for anything less than €50 million for the 22-year-old.
Juventus will find it difficult to furnish that amount and are likely to offer players in exchange for Houssem Aouar.
Juventus to re-launch efforts to sign Julian Draxler
Julian Draxler has entered the final months of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and is set to become a free agent in the summer. Draxler has failed to nail down a starting spot at Paris Saint-Germain but there is no doubt about his quality and could walk into the starting XI of several European giants.
Calciomercato claims Juventus were keen to sign him in 2015. They are now looking to make an approach in the summer. Juventus have a reputation for striking the best deals in the free-agent market.
The Bianconeri are checking to see if Julian Draxler is fit and ready to contribute before making a move since the player has not seen a lot of game time of late.