Juventus are monitoring Monaco winger Thomas Lemar as a backup, should they fail to agree terms for Douglas Costa.
The talented 21-year-old had a standout season with the French champions last season and is being courted by the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Corriere dello Sport report that Costa is still the “primary objective” for the Bianconeri, however they are prepared to pay no more than €30m for a winger this season and Bayern are sticking to their €40m evaluation of the Brazilian.
Liverpool, Barcelona and even Inter are also interested in the 26-year-old, but his primary choice is still Juventus and the cordial relations between Presidents Andrea Agnelli and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge are expected to help facilitate a transfer.
Despite the causes for optimism, the paper reports that Lemar is also being monitored by Juve’s, alongside previous targets including Lazio’s Keita Balde Diao and Fiorentina’s Federico Bernardeschi.
While deals for the latter pair are expected to be complicated due to the less-than-friendly relations with Fiorentina and Lazio, the Frenchman is considered “a pure left-sider” making “perfect” for Max Allegri’s 4-2-3-1 formation which the tactician is expected to continue with next season.
442 with two new wingers and Marchisio, Khedira and Pjanic to rotate. Lemar or Bernadeschi along with Costa.
Both please! Or at leat Costa and one of the Keita, Berardi, Bernadeschi….!By the way, an offer for cuadrado came and we rejected it? I will pay his ticket to whatever club is willing to take him away from Turin, he will be the reason for Orsolini to be loaned out even though he is potentially a better fit as a backup on the right wing and with after a couple of years a serious first team regular candidate…plus italian for goodness sake….
Good point, mate, in regards to Orsolini.
We have for the flanks presently:
Pjaca – Dead until October, then probably not match fit before 2018.
Manduzkic – works so damn hard, can hold the ball up, distributes smartly, huge physical and aerial presence, yet has no pace, doesn’t dribble and is unlikely to beat a man with anything other than brute strength. he is not a winger.
Cuadrado – one trick pony, blast forward and step-overs. His crossing has improved, yet his mentality is weak. Nowhere near a top drawer winger.
Alves – A RB who has been playing RW because he is more technically gifted. Would be an average option who couldn’t play week in week out due to his age. And not a natural winger.
One fit hybrid winger/ wing-forward in Cuadrado. Other than which make-shift options. As in Mario is not a winger by nature and Alves is getting old and not naturally a winger.
We desperately need to improve the two positions. Ideally with two coming in. Orsolini could be one of of them, yet he seems very much naturally RW/RWF.
I’d be far happier to see Costa/Pjaca for the left and Alves/Orsolini for the right than Juan or Mario anywhere near the flanks. We probably cannot afford to get 2 of the Keita/Bernardeschi/Costa options in one summer.
I just dont see Lemar playing on the wings, he is a midfielder for Monaco, I think we will get Costa, and should also sign Bernardeschi to fight Costa, if it is true that Cuardado will leave to Totenham or Arsenal
For me this guy is more an attacking midfielder but it can be usefull cuz the dybala in theory is a natural right winger, so if we put him on dybala´s position and dybala on the left wing with costa on the right wing and higuain or schick. it would be very deadly that attack and with cuadrado, mandzukic, schick and pjaca as great subs. I think Allegri would be better with a 4-1-4-1 the formation would be deadly.