Leonardo Balerdi remains Juventus’ number one defensive target, and the Bianconeri are working on a move to bring him to the club.
The Argentine centre-back has played under Igor Tudor before during their time together at Olympique Marseille, and the Juventus manager wants a reunion with the defender in Turin. The club has prioritised strengthening its defence this summer and considers Balerdi the ideal player to bolster their backline.
Juve have already made contact regarding a potential deal, and Balerdi is believed to be open to the transfer. However, Marseille are not yet willing to sanction his departure, making negotiations difficult.
Juventus keeping their options open
Despite focusing on Balerdi, Juventus are aware that a move could fall through if Marseille continue to resist selling. Because of this, they have identified several backup options they could turn to.
A report on Football Italia claims the Bianconeri are now also keeping a close eye on Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd. Both defenders have been linked with a move to Turin before, and Juventus are prepared to pursue either of them if their efforts to land Balerdi ultimately fail.
This proactive approach from Juventus highlights their urgency to strengthen their defence before the transfer window closes. They are not prepared to wait too long for one player and risk being left short at the back when the season begins.
Reinforcing the defence is a key goal
Juventus understand that a strong defence is vital to their ambitions next season, and they want to ensure that Tudor has the right personnel in place to compete on all fronts.
Balerdi remains the top priority, but the club’s interest in Araujo and Aguerd shows they are prepared to act quickly if needed. Time will tell whether Marseille change their stance, but Juventus are ready to move on if the situation does not progress soon.
