Reports: Juventus to try and lure Diego Godin away from Atletico Madrid

No matter the formation, Juventus’ magical number for center backs on each season’s roster has almost always been five. The good thing going for Juve is that for the better part of their seven-year title run in Serie A, the big names have basically been the same, with the only arrivals being a younger player coming back from loan (Daniele Rugani or now Mattia Caldara) or a rotation player being brought in on the cheap (Benedikt Howedes).

But there could be some rather noticeable changes coming.

And, according to a report from AS late Tuesday, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s only involves Daniele Rugani potentially heading to Chelsea for a cool €50 million or so.

The report from AS — and something that has also been thrown on there by SportMediaset and SportItalia’s Alfredo Pedulla — has Juventus trying to pry one of the best defenders in the world, Diego Godin, away from Atletico Madrid. The breakdown of it all goes a little something like this:

• Godin, 32, has one year remaining on his current contract with Atleti.
• In that contract that has a little less than 12 months left on it, there is a €20 million buyout clause, relatively cheap for somebody who is oozing class as he goes on in his early-30s.
• Juventus are ready to offer Godin a three-year contract in attempt to get him away from the Spanish capital.

Now, when it comes to current offers that are being thrown out there in the Italian media, it seems as though Rugani’s name is the most talked about. And if Rugani does end up leaving this summer — and, at this point, I really don’t know what to think about the likelihood of it all — then there’s a void to fill and a little bit more money to spend.

And, nothing against Medhi Benatia, but Juve’s defense with Giorgio Chiellini playing next to Godin more often than not is a pretty damn good way to enter the season knowing who Juve just signed to lead the line on the other end of Max Allegri’s starting lineup.