Juventus have reportedly overtaken Inter in the race for Tiago Djalo and are now working on finalizing the transfer.
The Nerazzurri have an agreement in principle with the player’s entourage over a summer transfer once his contract with Lille expires.
However, the Bianconeri have stepped up to seal a deal in January, something that both Lille and the defender prefer.
After all, the Portuguese doesn’t want to spend the rest of his campaign on the bench, while the French side would rather sell him, albeit for a low fee, rather than lose his services for free in June.
So according to La Gazzetta dello Sport via IlBianconero, Juventus have been making significant progress on this track and are now increasingly optimistic about their chances of closing the operation.
The pink newspaper claims the Bianconeri will hold a meeting with the player’s representatives upon their return from the weekend trip to Salerno.
The Old Lady reportedly has an agreement with Lille over a transfer fee between 2 and 3 million euros in addition to bonuses.
The two clubs had struck a deal for Timothy Weah last summer.
Juventus consider Djalo as the long-term replacement for Alex Sandro who will leave Turin at the end of the season when his contract expires, even though the 23-year-old is a natural central defender while the Brazilian veteran is originally a left-back.
The Turin-based giants are also reflecting on whether to keep Djalo at Continassa until the end of the season or send him on loan to gain some valuable Serie A experience elsewhere. The source believes that the loan option is more popular at the moment.
The young defender is still recovering from an ACL injury he sustained last March, so his return to the pitch must be gradual.
