Juventus could terminate the final year of Douglas Costa’s contract in an attempt to get the Leeds United target’s £165,000-a-week pay packet off their wage bill, as reported by Calciomercato.
In an era of unmitigated cost-cutting, some of the biggest and most recognisable names in world football have been allowed to move on for free in the past 12 months.
Blaise Matuidi, Gonzalo Higuain and World Cup winner Sami Khedira have all seen their contracts ripped up by Juventus and, if reports are to be believed, Costa could be next in line.
The Brazil international has no future under Andrea Pirlo. And there’s a real chance a £37 million winger will be heading out the door for nothing in the next transfer window.
Costa earns £165,000 a week at the Allianz Stadium – a substantial drain on Juve’s dwindling resources. Calciomercato claims that, once the 30-year-old returns to Turin following a disappointing spell at Bayern Munich, focus will turn to agreeing his permanent departure.
Gremio are eyeing a dream deal for a man who started his career at the Tricolor before heading to Europe with Shakhtar Donetsk ten years ago. Whether Costa is willing to take a substantial pay cut to rejoin his former club remains to be seen.
Leeds, meanwhile, could offer the three-time Serie A winner a chance to extend his stay in Europe, with Marcelo Bielsa a big fan of the winger’s technical abilities (CM).
The prospect of Costa lining up alongside fellow Brazilian Raphinha at Elland Road may have the Elland Road faithful drowning in a pool of their own drool.
While Leeds were travelling to Preston, Blackburn and Luton on a cold Tuesday night, scrapping to get out of England’s second tier, it’s fair to say they wouldn’t have dreamed of luring Douglas Costa to West Yorkshire.
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