Juventus eye Asensio and Grimaldo transfers

FT Desk

9 Sept 2022 18:13 BST
3 min read

Marco Asensio, Real Madrid, 2021/22 — © ProShots

Without a Serie A title in two years and only seventh after five games this term, the pressure is on Max Allegri to find the right players for his squad in January.

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These are unfamiliar waters for the record Italian champions, who had won nine consecutive league titles before the Serie A crown went to Inter and then AC Milan over the last two campaigns.

The last five of those titles were won by Allegri, but the manager has struggled to find the same secret sauce since returning to the club in May 2021, replacing Andre Pirlo.

Max Allegri accepted Florentino Perez's offer to become Real Madrid manager last summer.

He then changed his mind at the last minute!

Real Madrid fans should thank their lucky stars - he's been a complete disaster at Juventus!

by @carlogarganese

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) April 17, 2022

More than €100 million was spent on new players this summer, with Torino centre-back Bremer costing the most with his €41m crosstown move. Federico Chiesa was just €1m less when he arrived from Fiorentina.

But two wins from the opening five Serie A games are not the return the Bianconeri were hoping for, and the club are already lining up a dip back into the transfer market in January.

Asensio on a free?

Real Madrid's Marco Asensio is at the top of their shopping list. The mercurial Spain winger is out of favour at the Bernabeu and Juve have been offered the chance to sign him for a knockdown fee in January before he becomes available on a free next summer, according to Tutto Mercato.

Asensio would bring some much-needed verve in the final third. Scorer of 49 goals and provider of 24 assists in 237 games with Real, the 26-year-old has been restricted to just eight La Liga minutes this season.

Further back, Alex Grimaldo has been identified as a replacement for Alex Sandro, the Brazilian left-back who is set to leave under freedom of contract at the end of the current campaign.

Grimaldo's contract with Benfica also expires at the end of the season, but according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juve could accelerate proceedings by trying to secure his services in January.

Both Spaniards, Asensio and Grimaldo could help each other settle quickly at Juventus Stadium, with Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes - both Argentines - already adding to the Spanish-speaking contingent this summer.