Report: Blaise Matuidi emerges as Juventus’ latest ‘No. 1 choice to replace Paul Pogba’

We’ve been down this road before. Well, at least the road that is addressed “(Player) is being considered as Juventus’ choice to replace the recently-departed Paul Pogba” or something along those lines.

Reports have gone from Nemanja Matic as Pogba’s potential replacement, to Axel Witsel as Pogba’s potential replacement, to, now, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi, somebody who knows a thing or two about playing in the same midfield with a certain player who just joined Manchester United on a world-record transfer fee.

More on the Matuidi matters, according to Gianluca Di Marzio:

Another player Juventus is focusing on is Blaise Matuidi, the PSG midfielder.Juve is pushing to bring him to the club, there is an opening in the midfield, and the player wants to wear the bianconero. The Frenchman has told his agent he wants more playing time. Juve would offer him a 4-year contract, and offer PSG 20 million euros for his services.

The basis of the Matuidi rumors, at least according to Di Marzio earlier in the week, is that the 29-year-old Frenchman has fallen out of favor with new PSG manager Unai Emery. The guarantee for regular playing time under Emery might not be there for Matuidi like it was when Laurent Blanc was manager. Matuidi started 23 games league games and 38 games total between PSG competing on all three fronts.

Is a potential €20 million fee for Matuidi, who will turn 30 years old in April, the best thing to do at this point in the summer? Well, considering what options may also be out there, this may end up being one of the best moves in a relatively small bunch of obtainable options that still remain.

And hey, the same No. 14 that Matuidi currently wears for club and country is still unclaimed at Juventus. So he’s also got that potentially going for him if he were to move to Turin, which is nice, I guess.