Report: Juventus, Patrice Evra agree to contract extension through 2018

While one out-of-contract Juventus player seems to be a certainty to leave Turin and sign with another team this summer, reports out of Italy on Sunday make it seem like one of the other fellas is staying put right where he is and will be sticking around a few more years. And this, my friends, is good news. Very, very good news.

According to French media outlet Téléfoot, Juventus and left back Patrice Evra have agreed to a contract extension that will see the Frenchman stay with the reigning Italian champions until the end of the 2017-18 season. That, in extremely general terms, would mean Evra puts pen to paper on a two-year contract extension, keeping around one of Juventus' most experienced players on its roster.

It's an interesting development — but obviously a very good development — for a couple of reasons:

• Evra will be 35 years old in the middle of May (about six weeks from now).
• Alex Sandro is clearly the left back of the future, meaning any potential playing time for Evra will certainly but cut over the next couple of seasons.

Juventus didn't pay upwards of €26 million for Alex Sandro last summer just for him to be a part-time player over the course of the majority of his contract. And based on how he has played in his first season with Juve, it's not like Sandro has done anything to make that transfer fee look like it is wasted money or anything close to it.

By reportedly agreeing to a contract extension, it looks as though Evra is more than comfortable with life in Italy and having a younger option potentially take away from some of his playing time. It's not like Evra has been bad when called up by any means. But to think that Sandro isn't going to be the No. 1 option at left back or left wing back in the next season or two would be probably a little too off-base.

So, I say this in the most genuine of ways: Bravo to you, Patrice Evra, for wanting to stick around a little while longer. You're more than welcome to mainly because you've been a good player for the last two years. Let's hope that stays that way even though you become awfully close to that magical number of 40 years old.