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With reports of Juventus and Bayern Munich agreeing to a deal that will see defender Medhi Benatia arrive in Turin, the only logical step is to hear word of when a potential medical may be. And, fittingly, just a short time after word of Benatia's arrival we heard about said medical going down.
According what seems like just about every Italian sports outlet there is, the 29-year-old Benatia will undergo his medical with Juventus on Thursday after seeing his deal to the five-time defending Serie A champions Wednesday. Benatia, who arrived from Roma for a €26 million fee two summers ago, is reportedly signing with Juventus on an initial loan deal worth €3 million, with an option to buy set at around €17 million, which would obviously push the final transfer fee to €20 million. The way things sound right now, the option to buy on Juventus' end is not a mandatory one.
With the signing reportedly being done and finalized with Benatia's medical in less than 24 hours, there seems like a pretty good chance that the former Roma and Udinese defender could be on the plane to Australia as Juventus begin their preseason tour in less than a week. And considering that the Italian national team connection otherwise known as the BBC are still on their post-Euro 2016 holiday, the chances of seeing Benatia in Australia and Hong Kong seems relatively good with no other first team center backs on the roster other than Daniele Rugani.
Benatia's two years in Germany have been relatively forgettable to say the least. He entered a Bayern squad flush with talent and depth. He's battled injuries, cutting into his playing time just that much more. While he's surely going to be a backup at Juventus, Benatia's hope to kick-start his career will happen in Turin. Or maybe it won't. Let's hope it does.