With Paul Pogba, 23, on his way to Manchester United, Juventus have targeted Chelsea’s Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic, 27, as a replacement.
The Italian club has already run the rule over Moussa Sissoko, 26, who has made his intentions of departing Newcastle United following their relegation to the Championship very clear. Real Madrid are also hovering which has led to Juventus drawing up a list of suitable alternatives with Matic at the very top.
Matic has been sold before by Chelsea, joining Benfica in 2011 as part of the deal which brought David Luiz, 29, to Stamford Bridge before being re-signed in 2014 for £30m. His value in the Luiz deal was recorded at £2.5m.
It’s understood that there is reluctance on the part of the Chelsea hierarchy to sell Matic again, with Juventus unlikely to pay more than £25m.
New Blues boss Antonio Conte has made it clear he doesn’t want to lose the player but with N’Golo Kante, 25, signed for £30m from Leicester City, competition for the role of midfield anchor is intense. Any fee for Matic would go a long way toward funding the four more signings which Conte has told the club he wants to complete before the end of the transfer window.
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