Juventus have rejected a staggering £55.2 million bid from Chelsea for left-back Alex Sandro
According to Matt Barlow of the Daily Mail, Serie A champions Juventus have turned down an enormous £55.2 million from Chelsea for defender Alex Sandro. However, the club have told the player that they will not stand in his way if he wants to leave in the summer.
Since moving from FC Porto in the summer of 2015, Sandro has established himself as one Serie A’s finest full-backs, and soon went on to become a regular figure in the Juventus starting lineup, post the departure of Patrice Evra.
Sandro came close to winning the first Champions League this past season, but the Old Lady were outplayed by Real Madrid in the final at Cardiff, and ended up losing by a humiliating 4-1 scoreline.
Domestically, the 26-year-old has won the league title in the last two seasons, and there seems to be no reason on the silverware front for him wanting to leave the club. That being said, after having won everything in Italy, it probably may be time to embark upon a new challenge.
At Stamford Bridge, the Italian connection could be enough to lure the Brazilian to join forces with Antonio Conte. The former Juventus player is known to have a penchant for Serie A players, and is intent on signing Sandro in the summer.
Conte has been interested in the player for the past few weeks, and was reportedly told to shell out £52 million for his services. Despite tabling a bid in that region, the Old Lady have surprisingly turned it down.
This had led to Conte being frustrated with Chelsea’s transfer activity, and is attempting to exert a greater control over the player recruitments, but the club is unwilling to comply, leading to a reported rift with the Italian and the club hierarchy.
If Chelsea are to sign the player, they may have to try and convincing him quickly or could see him being snapped up the likes of Real Madrid and Arsenal, both of whom have shown an avid interest in the player.
The Spanish side are looking to find an quality understudy for Marcelo, and probably the one to take over the reins after a couple of seasons as the Brazilian is not expected to put in performances at his best for a number of years.
Thus, Sandro could fit the bill for Zinedine Zidane’s side, and will work perfectly under the Frenchman’s tutelage. The Juventus full-back puts in an impressive shift in the final third, and is also good when it comes to defending.
The interest from Arsenal seems a tad confusing, as Arsene Wenger only recently sealed the signing of 23-year-old Sead Kolasinac. However, the Bosnian may not be ready to break into the Gunners first-team, and Sandro could be a regular next season, should he move to the Emirates.
So, with the player currently spoiled for choice, it remains to be seen what lies in the future for him. If Juventus are willing to match the wages that the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid are offering, the 26-year-old is expected to stay put in Turin.
