In recent weeks, Ricky Massara emerged as the favorite candidate to become the next sporting director at Juventus.

The 54-year-old currently operates as Paolo Maldini’s right-hand man at Milan, but he could jump ship to reunite with his longtime friend Max Allegri in Turin.

Massara would effectively replace Federico Cherubini received a suspension due to his involvement in the Plusvalenza case. Juventus Next Gen director Giovanni Manna is currently serving in his stead as an interim sporting director.

But according to Tuttosport via ilBianconero, Massara isn’t the only director on the Juventus shortlist, as the club is also considering two other options.

The first is Napoli’s Cristiano Giuntoli who built the Partenopei squad that is dominating Serie A this season while also pushing for European glory. The 51-year-old has been the club’s sporting director since 2015.

The other option on the list is Andrea Berta. The 51-year-old Italian has been at Atletico Madrid since 2013. He initially joined as a technical director in 2013, before becoming sporting director in 2017.

Juve FC say

At this point, Giuntoli is arguably the most enticing option on the list, but Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis would certainly try his best to maintain his longtime serving director.

Therefore, luring Massara to Turin remains a more plausible task based on the current circumstances.