Juventus are raiding the Premier League for midfield reinforcements with both Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg potentially ‘excellent’ additions for the Serie A giants.
The days of Andrea Pirlo, Blaise Matuidi, Claudio Marchisio and a young Paul Pogba are consigned to the very distant past these days, and it’s fair to say the midfield options currently at Juventus’ disposal would struggle to even lace the boots of those who came before.
Whether the likes of Kalvin Philipps or Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are sufficient to boost a spluttering engine, however, remains to be seen, the seldom-seen duo struggling for regular starts at Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.
Former Juventus striker Luca Toni, however, is taking the ‘glass half full’ approach, welcoming the prospect of Philips or Hojbjerg arriving in the winter window.
“(Juve boss Max) Allegri needs certainty in the middle of the pitch,” Toni tells Gazzetta dello Sport. “Phillips from Manchester City or Hojbjerg from Tottenham would be excellent signings.”
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could leave Tottenham
Hojbjerg, valued by Tottenham at around £25 million, has been scouted by Juventus recently. The Denmark international has lost his place in Ange Postecoglou’s XI, his only starts during the current Premier League campaign coming in the absence of Yves Bissouma and James Maddison.
Juventus have also been linked with Arsenal’s perennially-injury hit Thomas Partey and the similarly cursed Thiago Alcantara, out of contract at Liverpool at the end of 2023/24.
Fabrizio Romano, however, has his doubts about whether any of the aforementioned quartet will end up at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus eyeing Arsenal and Liverpool men
“I’m still told Mikel Arteta considers Thomas an important player,” Romano explains in his Caught Offside column. “Despite recent reports from Italy that the Ghana international could look to leave.”
“Juventus were interested in Thomas Partey last summer. But then Arsenal decided to keep him. I’m not expecting big movements for Thomas in January.
“I’m told Juventus want more offensive players in midfield than Thomas (or Hojbjerg, Phillips or Thiago).”
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