Serie A leader Juventus have made direct contact with AC Milan to inquire about defender, Mattia De Sciglio, according to Calciomercato.com late Wednesday night.
The Bianconeri consider the Italian defender to be a replacement for an aging Stephan Lichtsteiner or Alex Sandro, which is why Juventus has asked Milan for formal information.
De Sciglio’s contract with the Rossoneri is set to expire in June 2018. The 24-year-old and Milan management have not been able to agree on a contract renewal. The un-finished club takeover by Chinese owners has been an ongoing issue that has also affected the contract discussions between De Sciglio and the team.
Milan may be inclined to sell the fullback is a contract renewal is not agreed upon. This way, the club will make a profit instead of losing De Sciglio on a free transfer.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri coached at Milan before joining the Old Lady, which allows for an understanding as to why the Italian manager’s new club is interested in De Sciglio’s services.
Milan values the youngster at around 15 million euros. Therefore, if Juventus wants him, they’ll have to be willing to spend close to that price.
De Sciglio has already appeared in 31 matches for Italy in his short careers and through 20 appearances in the Serie A this season, he has recorded one assist. De Sciglio came back from an ankle injury at the beginning of March that had kept him out a month. Nonetheless, the player’s stats don’t show why a team like Juventus would want his services.
The Italian international possesses qualities that make him versatile. De Sciglio can play the fullback position on both the left and right sides of the field, and he can also step in as a left-midfielder. His passing game, including delivering crosses into the box, and his ability to be able to hold onto the ball highlight his strengths.
De Sciglio averages nearly 40 completed passes per game in the Serie A and completes them at a nearly 86 percent success rate. Juventus can use the Milan man in the place of Lichtsteiner, which will lessen some worries knowing that it has a younger fullback.
Juventus will continue to keep its eye on De Sciglio, hoping to secure his talents come the summer transfer window.