Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly joined European champions Real Madrid in pursuit of Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
According to a report in Spanish publication Don Balon, PSG set their sights on a summer move for highly-rated 27-year-old midfielder Miralem Pjanic, who is also said to be one of Real Madrid President Florentino Perez’s top targets.
The report goes on to state that Perez sees the Bosnia and Herzegovina international as an ‘unbeatable’ option to strengthen his midfield amidst the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, both of whom have been linked with moves away from the Bernabeu.
In order to lure him away from the Allianz Stadium, PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi is reportedly willing to double the former Roma midfielder’s current wages to make the move to Parc des Princes, which could take it up to €8 million a season.
After moving to Juventus from rivals AS Roma in €32 million move in the summer of 2016, Pjanic has gone on to establish himself as one of the best creative midfielders on the planet, helping his side win the Serie A, Coppa Italia and helping them to the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
While he isn’t among the quickest or strongest midfielders around, it is his ability to read the game, range of passing, vision and versatility that make him stand out and also perfect for the kind of formations that both PSG and Real Madrid deploy.
In Paris, Giovani Lo Celso and Christopher Nkunku are still very young, while Lassana Diarra and Thiago Motta are well into their thirties. Javier Pastore is expected to depart Parc des Princes in the summer, while Hatem Ben Arfa’s future remains as uncertain as ever.
The Ligue 1 giants are desperate to get their hands on the Champions League trophy, so they certainly aren’t lacking in ambition. Pjanic would certainly boost their midfield and alongside Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot, they would make a formidable force.
Toni Kroos has been heavily linked with a move away from Real Madrid and Isco’s recent comments on not having Zidane’s confidence has only fueled speculation of a potential summer move. With Luka Modric turning 33 this year and Dani Ceballos failing to impress, Pjanic could just be the player Zidane needs to revitalize his midfield.
He could walk into the Real Madrid starting XI and set up shop alongside Modric and Casemiro in the midfield three, or either one of them in a 4-4-2. He could also play in defensive midfield or in a more forward attacking midfield formation when needed.
If Juventus let him go, it certainly won’t be on the cheap. He has a little over three years on his current contract and he is one of their best players. The Biaconeri are well aware that they could start a massive bidding war between PSG and Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window and it will be interesting to see if any transfer records get broken in the summer.
