Juventus drift focus to raid on Man City for Aymeric Laporte as Arsenal alternative

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has emerged onto the radar of a Juventus side looking to replace Giorgio Chiellini, according to reports in Italy.

Chiellini will be leaving Juventus this summer after 17 seasons, during which he made more than 550 appearances. The veteran centre-back is expected to move to the MLS, most likely with LAFC. He will leave a big void in Turin.

Although Juventus have Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs De Ligt, they are ready to enter the market for another centre-back. Bonucci isn’t too much younger than Chiellini, while De Ligt still has major admirers across Europe.

One of the players Juventus have been considering is Gabriel Magalhaes of Arsenal. This link has been backed up by Corriere Dello Sport, who also name Benoit Badiashile of Monaco as an option.

Both are left-footed, like Chiellini, which seems to be a key criterion for their next defender.

Another man who fits the bill is Manchester City man Laporte. According to the report, he too is an idea for Juventus.

Promisingly for the Serie A side, they have determined that City are not totally against a transfer for Laporte. That said, it wouldn’t necessarily be a cheap one.

The 28-year-old is in the prime of his career and is under contract for another three seasons. Pep Guardiola trusted him with 33 Premier League starts this season – the most of any of City’s centre-backs.

The report does not confirm how much City would be looking for to sell Laporte. For the time being, Gabriel and Badiashile appear to be the priority targets for Juventus.

Both are younger than Laporte, which may be wiser for Juventus if they are looking for a long-term option beyond Chiellini.

But experience is important, especially in a league as tough tactically