Juventus starlet Koni de Winter could move on loan to a Premier League club this summer with Southampton and Liverpool big fans, the defender’s agent tells TuttoJuve.
According to Fabrizio Lioi, De Winter’s representative, there are two potential options on the table as the 19-year-old weighs up his next move.
Either he stays in Turin and forces his way into Max Allegri’s first-team plans, or he leaves for a short-term spell elsewhere.
“I can confirm it, 100 per cent; We will never see him again in (Juventus’) U23 squad,” says Lioi, expressing his belief that De Winter has outgrown a relatively small, reserve-team pond.
“The management and the technical staff value him a lot. The only question mark here concerns what is best for him. We will evaluate which path to take with the club, and we will try to reach the right compromise.
“He is a player in great demand on the transfer market, but there are no secrets between us and Juve. There is interest from England, Holland and Germany. We will talk. There is still a lot of time.”
Southampton and Liverpool like Juventus’ Koni de Winter
Lioi admitted a couple of months ago that Liverpool are admirers of the Belgium U21 international, a highly-promising, versatile centre-half blessed with excellent reading of the game and an impressive passing range.
According to Voetbal24, South Coast rivals Brighton and Southampton have also showed interest in De Winter.
It is highly unlikely that Liverpool would consider signing a 19-year-old on loan, however, particularly given that Jurgen Klopp already has at least four top-class centre-halves at his disposal. This is a move that would suit neither the player, nor the club.
A loan move to either Southampton or Brighton certainly makes more sense, given that first-team football would be far more attainable under Ralph Hasenhuttl or Graham Potter.
According to The Athletic, Southampton have made a new defender one of their top summer targets, with Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens facing uncertain futures at St Mary’s.
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“He wants to do what Giorgio Chiellini did, to become a flag bearer for (Juventus),” Lioi adds.
“In his head, there is the desire to play with the first Juventus team. He does not want to leave here (permanently). He would like to become a black and white symbol.”
De Winter, in December, became the youngest player in Juve’s history ever to start a Champions League match.
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