Juventus defender Merih Demiral looks to be on his way out of the club after just two years with them. Multiple clubs have shown interest in signing the defender and Borussia Dortmund looks like the latest entrant to the list.
Game time has been very limited for the Turkish defender at the Old Lady. Juventus wants to offload Demiral to raise money for their summer transfers. Dortmund have entered the race for his signature as reported by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
The report is confirmed by Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. Dortmund however, would have to pay close to €35m asking price for Demiral. Merih Demiral still has his contract with Juventus till 2024.
CRISIS AT THE BACK
Dortmund will enter into the new season with concerns at the back. Current options in the centre-back position include Manuel Akanji, Mats Hummels, Dan-Axel Zagadou and newcomer Soumaila Coulibaly. Hummels is facing a patellar tendon issue that he is not quite recovered from.
Meanwhile, both Zagadou and Coulibaly has picked up injuries in Dortmunds latest pre-season match and will miss the start of the season. This will leave manager Marco Rose with the Akanji as the only fit centre-back option, though he could use Emre Can in the role.
Dortmund has two options to fix the issue. They could either bring in some of their academy players and wait till their players are back to fitness. But a more sensible choice will be to invest money in a decent centre-back who can bring more to the team.
DORTMUND COULD TAKE A RISK ON DEMIRAL
Marcel Halstenberg was a player that was linked with Dortmund in the last few weeks. However, it is unlikely that Leipzig will sell another defender to a direct rival again this season. Now the focus has shifted to Merih Demiral.
Demiral has found it very hard to find a regular spot on the Juve team. This was partly due to the multiple injuries that he suffered during his two year period with the Old Lady. But that does not mean he is without quality. Demiral made his name with his short stint at Sassuolo and his time in Turkey.
The major issue for the deal to materialise will be the transfer fee. Dortmund will not be ready to meet the €35m asking price that Juventus demands. But the latest injury crisis in the defence could force the Dortmund hierarchy to take a risk on the Turkey international.
The Germans would have to act fast because Demiral is already attracting interest from other clubs. Atalanta is also considering a move for the Turk if defender Crisitan Romero is sold to Tottenham. Another club interested in the 23-year-old is AS Roma, who is rebuilding under new boss Jose Mourinho.
Do follow us on Twitter to get the latest football news and updates.
