Juventus will be reeling from the loss of French central midfielder Paul Pogba to Manchester United, despite making some giant strides in the transfer market themselves. However, the Premier League club have now offered veteran midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger to the Serie A champions in what could be a mutually beneficial deal.
Schweinsteiger has not had a successful time at Old Trafford since making a much publicised £6.5 million move from Bayern Munich. Schweinsteiger has since gone on to make only 18 league appearances for United in a campaign plagued by injuries and poor form. The arrival of Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho has sounded the death knell for the 32-year-old German’s Manchester United career.
Mourinho has banished Schweinsteiger to the reserve team after the latter declared his intentions to stay at Old Trafford, drawing outrage from fans of the decorated midfielder. He has been linked primarily with a move to the Turkish Superlig, with the Red Devils anxious to get him off their books as soon as they can.
United have now offered the German midfielder to Serie A champions Juventus, who are looking for a replacement for Paul Pogba, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato. The report further adds that his situation is being monitored by other Serie A clubs including Lazio, AC Milan and Intern Milan.
Juventus have made some massive signings already this summer, with the controversial £75 million acquisition of Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain being the highlight. However, their midfield has been significantly bruised by the loss of French midfielder Paul Pogba. While I Bianconeri have signed Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic from rivals AS Roma, the injury issues with their other two first choice players — Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira — means that they will be looking to strengthen that department.
Schweinsteiger may not be the most astute signing in that regard. He recently retired from international duty as three years of injury-plagued football took their toll on the once brilliant midfield maestro. Schweinsteiger does bring with him a wealth of experience, marquee status and leadership ability, but it is unlikely that the Serie A champions will be tempted by Manchester United’s offer.
While the void left by Pogba must be filled, it would require a younger signing or some of the other Juve midfielders like Stefano Sturaro or Kwadwo Asamoah to step up, rather than the purchase of a superstar who is past his prime.
