Juventus will try to pull off a similar formula to the one that brought Carlos Alcaraz to Turin last January as they attempt to sign Antonio Silva.
The Bianconeri needed a new midfielder amidst their injury crisis last season, so they ended up signing the young Southampton man on a curious deal just before the closure of the winter transfer session.
The Serie A giants paid 4 million euros to the Premier League side in loan fees, while the deal included an option to buy for a whopping 49 million euros. In the end, even Cristiano Giuntoli implied that Juventus never intended to splash this figure, but they had little time to negotiate more favorable terms with the transfer window drawing to a close.
Hence, Juventus would have tried to offer significantly lower figures had they intended to keep the Argentine, but his underwhelming displays during his brief spell in Turin prompted the manager to abandon the plan altogether and turn to other targets.
Nevertheless, the club could revisit the formula as they attempt to lure Silva to Turin. The 21-year-old has recently emerged as one of their primary targets to bolster Thiago Motta’s injury-ravaged backline.
So according to Il Corriere dello Sport via IlBianconero, Juventus could offer Benfica an expensive loan offer (up to 5 million euros), with an option to buy set at 30 million.
Although the Old Lady will be facing stern competition for the Portuguese defender, they are relying on their excellent relationship with his agent Jorge Mendes, who also brought Francisco Conceicao to Continassa under similar terms.
The defender’s desire to leave Lisbon is fueled by his lack of playing time since the appointment of Bruno Lage as Benfica head coach as a replacement for Roger Schmidt.
