Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri wants the Bianconeri squad to be strengthened for the 2023/24 campaign and he has identified the defence as an area that needs reinforcing.
Although Alex Sandro is close to have his contract automatically renewed, he is 32 years old now and he cannot expect to handle a heavy match schedule at his age.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, if Juventus qualify for the Champions League and are allowed to participate by UEFA, Allegri wants the club to sign Spain international Pau Torres from Villarreal.
The 26-year-old is contracted to Villarreal until June 2024, and after failing to sign him in the summer of 2022, the Bianconeri will feel more confident about signing him given his contract will have only one year remaining.
Alex Sandro close to Juventus renewal
Since his arrival from FC Porto in 2015, Alex Sandro has played in 308 competitive matches for Juventus, and he often excelled as a left-back in a four-man defence. In recent seasons, the Brazilian was showing signs of decline, but a shift to the 3-5-2 formation this season has meant that his role has changed.
Allegri has used him on the left side of the back three and he is not forced to cover as much ground as he used to. Playing alongside his compatriots Danilo and Bremer has also been of great benefit to the 32-year-old.
Alex Sandro needs to play 40 matches in 2022/23 to receive his contract renewal and he now has to play four more matches to achieve it. For that to happen, he has to play every remaining game for La Vecchia Signora, and if he misses one, he will need Juventus to reach the Europa League final to get him over the line.
What could Pau Torres add to Juventus?
Pau Torres will not be a stranger to Juventus fans as he scored for Villarreal when the Spanish side won 3-0 in the second leg of their Round of 16 Champions League tie in 2021/22. The left-footed defender has also played 23 times for Spain, including the Euro 2020 semi-final against Italy, which the Azzurri won on penalties.
If Allegri does persist with the back three formation, Torres should possess the right attributes to fit into his system, and Alex Sandro will have some time to recuperate instead of playing two games in a week as well as risk getting an injury.
