Juventus are working relentlessly to drive down the asking price of one of their top transfer targets.
Juventus will take on Inter Milan tonight in a fixture that could have a serious bearing on their bid to bring home a 10th consecutive Serie A title. The Bianconeri manager remains keen on bringing in reinforcements to his side before the January transfer window draws to a close.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Juventus from 17 January 2021.
Juventus interested in signing Juan Mata on a free
As per reports in the Spanish media (via Calciomercato), Juventus are interested in signing Manchester United veteran Juan Mata when he becomes a free agent in the summer. Mata has entered the final months of his contract at Old Trafford and could potentially part ways with the club in the summer as a free-agent.
Juventus have a reputation for striking the best deals in the free-agent market. Mata has fallen further and further down the pecking order at Manchester United with each passing season and is likely to not extend his contract.
However, Juventus are not the only club that is looking to sign him. Juan Mata's former club Valencia have registered an interest him as well.
Bayern Munich decide not to make Douglas Costa move permanent
Juventus forward Douglas Costa was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich after the Bianconeri secured the services of Federico Chiesa. Now according to the German press (via Calciomercato), getting Douglas Costa off their payroll has become a task in itself after Bayern Munich decided to not make his move permanent.
Costa earns €6 million as wages annually and the Bavarians don't think he is worth all that money. Despite being used as a backup at Bayern Munich, Costa has made 15 appearances across the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League.
Douglas Costa has several potential suitors in the Premier League and La Liga but no club is willing to meet Juventus' asking price for the Brazilian.
Juventus plotting summer swap deal for Paul Pogba
According to Fabrizio Romano on Calciomercato, Juventus are preparing to bring Paul Pogba in on a swap deal in the summer. Paul Pogba's current contract with Manchester United will expire in 2022 and his agent, Mino Raiola, had made it clear that his client will leave Manchester United in the summer.
Juventus and Real Madrid have been heavily linked with Pogba. However, Juventus do not currently have the financial clout to match Manchester United's asking price for the Frenchman as the Red Devils have put themselves in a good position to negotiate after extending Pogba's contract by a year.
Thus the Bianconeri are hoping that Manchester United will be open to a player plus cash offer. However, the Red Devils have reportedly already rejected swap offers that involved Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Douglas Costa and even Miralem Pjanic.