Juventus are reportedly exploring the free-agent market as they look for a solution following Manuel Locatelli’s serious injury, which is expected to keep the midfielder out of action for at least five months.
With the summer transfer window already closed, the Bianconeri have limited options and may now have to turn their attention towards players currently without a club.
According to Tuttosport, several experienced midfielders are being considered as Juventus assess the available opportunities.
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Brozovic Among the Leading Options
One of the most intriguing names on the market is Marcelo Brozovic, who is currently without a club following his departure from Al-Nassr.
The Croatian international would bring both technical quality and physical presence, while his extensive experience in Serie A could make him an attractive option for Juventus.
Brozovic knows Italian football extremely well after spending several years at Inter Milan. During his time with the Nerazzurri, the Zagreb-born midfielder made 330 official appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 43 assists.
However, as reported by Tuttosport, Brozovic is not the only experienced midfielder currently available.
Other potential opportunities include former Nice player Tanguy Ndombele, 29, former Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma, 30 …
… and Ismael Bennacer, 28 …
… although the Algerian is reportedly close to continuing his career in Qatar.
Registration Rules Could Complicate Juventus’ Plans
The biggest issue for Juventus is not simply finding a suitable midfielder. According to CalcioMercato, none of the aforementioned players were trained in Italian academies, meaning they could not directly replace Locatelli within Juventus’ squad registration rules.
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Locatelli is one of the four players currently registered by Juventus under the Italian-trained player category. As a result, signing a foreign-trained free agent could force the club to exclude another player from the non-Italian-trained list.
The situation could become even more complicated after the New Year, when Khéphren Thuram, who is currently excluded from that list, will reportedly need to be registered again.
Juventus therefore face an important decision: the club may have several experienced free agents available, but finding the right solution while respecting squad registration regulations could prove to be far more complicated than expected.