Juventus have confirmed that Leonardo Bonucci has signed a new long-term deal at the club, putting an end to speculation linking him to a move to the Premier League
Defending Serie A champions Juventus have confirmed through their official website that their defensive stalwart Leonardo Bonucci has agreed to a long-term deal at Turin, extending his contract to 2021.
The Italian international has been ferociously linked with a move to the Premier League with a trio of heavyweights – Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City – vying for his signature.
The 29-year-old, who joined the club from Bari in 2010, has gone on to become one of the most successful and complete defenders in the footballing world along with being the most coveted one with a host of trophies achieved with the Old Lady.
Euro 2016 further highlighted the technical prowess of Bonucci, which is almost unheard of in a central defender, and he was rightly linked with a move to the Premier League.
The links were justified, too, to an extent with Manchester United needing a central defender while Chelsea were obviously linked after the arrival of Antonio Conte, who was the national team manager during the Euros and under whom Bonucci became a revelation at Juventus.
However, it was Manchester City who came out as front-runners for the player after Bonucci admitted to being an admirer of Guardiola, who had arrived at Etihad to marshal the blue half of Manchester.
But, all these speculations will now be put to rest as Leonardo Bonucci has agreed an extension of his current deal with his new contract set to expire not before 2021.
And, as per Calciomercato, the 29-year-old is set to earn around €4.5 million per year plus add-ons at Juventus according to the terms of the new deal. Bonucci is currently out of action after suffering a muscle injury, and is set to return at the turn of the year.
However, his future seems to be now secured and it looks more and more certain that the Italian international is set to stay and don the Bianconeri jersey for a long time to come.
All of this will help Juventus as they attempt to win another Serie A title, while also aiming for a triumph in the UEFA Champions League.
The Premier League, though, would be looking to pounce on any opportunity if Bonucci shows the slightest hint of wanting a move, irrespective of the new contract being signed, which is unlikely to deter any of the three interested parties.