Manchester City could be in real danger of missing out on hot defensive target Leonardo Bonucci as Premier League rivals Chelsea are all set to table a huge bid for the player. And given the player has already expressed his willingness to leave the Turin club, any such possibility is massive.
Pep Guardiola has already opted to release most of the aged legs from his back line as he aims to rebuild a solid back line next season. And given the way the speculations are heading; the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is expected to switch to a back three now. Guardiola has experimented numerous formations last season, but the success of a three-man-defence that helped Chelsea win the Premier League title and Arsenal win the FA Cup, has surely gotten him thinking.
Despite having a fondness for nurturing young talents, in which he has been successful too, he has found more assurance at the back from the likes of Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi. John Stones has been a cherished transfer for the boss surely, but the young centre-half is yet to find ground under Guardiola’s free-flowing gameplay. And if he chooses to go with three at the back, the arrival of Bonucci would be an ideal addition.
Given the Italian international’s form, Juventus or any team wouldn’t agree to part ways with such a talent. But, the growing rift between the 30-year-old and Juventus manager Max Allegri has seen things going south. It all started with a normal fallout between the manager and the player, which was early in the season and was followed by the boss benching him for few matches.
With Juventus keener on retaining the boss, Bonucci now has to leave. Reportedly, the manager has even complained the club about the player not listening to his instructions. All hell broke loose when Real Madrid completely destroyed them, the best defensive side in the Champions League this term, with a 4-1 win in the final.
In his seven-year stint with the club, Bonucci has won a whopping seven Serie A titles with Champions League the only silverware evading him so far. And moving to Premier League could be finally the move that helps him achieve that. However, City will face a huge competition from Chelsea in his pursuit and given Antonio Conte’s connection with the player during their time in Juventus, it becomes all the more difficult.
Chelsea are in a more advantageous position here given Juventus’ interest in their defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic. The centre-half is labelled at £60million and Juventus are eyeing to include an offer for Matic in Chelsea’s bid for the player.
