Serie A champions Juventus are reportedly are lining up Barcelona superstar Jordi Alba as a potential replacement for Alex Sandro.
As per a report from Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Sport) Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba has emerged as a summer transfer target for Italian heavyweights Juventus.
The Bianconeri are understood to be on the lookout for a replacement for first-choice left-back Alex Sandro. The Brazilian international has been with Juventus since 2015, having arrived from Porto and has won a hat-trick of Serie A titles during his time at the club.
However, the 27-year-old will be entering the final year of his contract with Juventus in the summer and is reportedly not keen on signing an extension with the Italian champions.
Sandro has been linked with a move to Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and Chelsea for some time now. And the 27-year-old recently admitted that he harbours hopes of playing in the Premier League, dropping a huge hint that his time in Turin could be fast drawing towards an end.
Juventus were previously been linked with Real Madrid superstar Marcelo, but they seem to have switched their attention towards Barcelona mainstay Alba as a viable replacement for Sandro.
The Spaniard is widely regarded as one of the finest full-backs in the game currently and after a slightly disappointing campaign last time out, he has been in sensational form in 2018-19. In 17 matches across all competitions this term, Alba has scored twice and set up eight more, in the process winning back his place in the Spain national team.
The 29-year-old will also be entering the final twelve months of his deal with the Catalans at the end of the season. Manchester United were keen on making a move for the 67-time capped Spain international, after it emerged that talks of a new contract had hit a roadblock.
However, after a few hiccups, it is believed that discussions over an extension are progressing smoothly between the two parties, with an agreement likely to be arrived at very soon. But, that has not dissuaded Juventus in their pursuit of the defender.
The Serie A champions are hoping to breach the UEFA Champions League frontier and are of the belief that signing someone as experienced and well-established as Alba would certainly help them achieve their goal.
However, the 29-year-old is understood to be happy at Camp Nou and has no intention of leaving the Catalan giants. With negotiations over a new deal also well on course, it would seem like Juventus might have to look elsewhere to replace their wantaway star Sandro.
