Juventus are currently scouting the market for a quality full-back and Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Meunier is one of the names that has popped up. However, the Meunier’s services will only be up for grabs if Juventus agree to shell out €35m – €40m. This might not be ideal for the Serie A outfit but looking at their current situation, meeting the asking price and signing the Belgian is their best bet of maintaining the quality of the backline.
Their long-serving right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner is 34 years old and is close to making a club exit after his contract runs out in the summer. Alex Sandro has been attracting heavy interests from Premier League sides and has already expressed his desires to leave. The secondary option at left-back, Kwadwo Asamoah is another player who will be out of a contract after this season.
Juventus’ defence has been the backbone of their success over the years. They are currently the leaders in terms of trophies – 63 among all clubs of Italy and are challenging Napoli for the seventh consecutive league title. Massimiliano Allegri’s side went up by 2 goals in the opening half of the Champions League Round of 16 fixture against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week.
However, the defence was less than adequate to stop the Spurs offence and allowed them to come back and make it 2-2 after 90 minutes.
Meunier is one of the top names in European football who is impressing in the Ligue 1 with 4 goals and 5 assists in 21 total appearances this season. The 26-year-old arrived at Paris in the summer of 2016 from Belgian club, Club Brugge. He has been capped by the Belgian national side 21 times and is well poised to feature in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall Meunier is a big lad with a firm grip on the defensive side of the pitch. The massive figure does not slow him down either which eventually helps him provide a lot of width to the team’s attacks. He will be a perfect fit in a Juventus jersey especially now that the starting XI spot will be up for grabs next season.
While Allegri will be planning a swoop, PSG will have to work out a deal to find a replacement. Even though they have named their price, losing the highly rated wide man will be a huge loss to their ambitions of making a serious mark in the Champions League.
