Report: Lyon want €40 million for in-demand midfielder Corentin Tolisso

It’s the second week of March. Juventus are about to play one of their historic rivals. After that they’re going to play a crucial Champions League Round of 16 tie against Porto with the chance to advance to the quarterfinals of Europe’s premier club competition. There are important things on the immediate horizon for Juventus.

But we’re not here to talk about any of that.

The discussion in this thread is centered around one of Juventus’ biggest reported summer transfer targets, 22-year-old Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso. And while we hear about Juventus’ interest, which seems pretty obvious given the need to upgrade the midfield over the summer, the price tag over the summer is still something that is obviously something that will be on a lot of people’s minds over the next, oh, few months. And, according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport, the price to potentially acquire Tolisso will push €40 million at the very least.

That’s a lot of money. (Thanks, Captain Obvious.) That’s more than Miralem Pjanic cost. That’s more than Paulo Dybala (initially) cost.

But, as the Gazzetta points out, it may not be just a straight cash offer from Juventus in their quest to acquire Tolisso. In Beppe Marotta’s never-ending goal to pay the lowest amount of cash possible, a possible cash-plus player offer is on the table, with fellow midfielder Mario Lemina being dangled about as a bargaining chip. The same Lemina who has been rumored to be on the way out for the last 18 months, with supposed interest coming from a handful of teams across Europe.

If it’s all cash, cash-plus-player or something that involves Marotta’s favorite loan with option to buy option — yeah, that third one ain’t happening — Juventus’ interest in Tolisso (and the rumors that come along with it) aren’t going away. Then again, it’s March and there’s games to be played. Important games. So maybe we should pay attention to the current season besides what moves can be made for the next one.