Rumors of a Leonardo Bonucci return to Juventus aren’t going away

Tuesday brought us the second day of rumors that involved Leonardo Bonucci potentially coming back to Juventus 12 months after he bolted to Milan. In a summer that has seen us going from laughing at initial rumors involving Cristiano Ronaldo to seeing him posing for a picture with Andrea Agnelli a little more than a week later, it’s been a wild, wild ride of transfer-related madness.

And we’re certainly not done.

Tuesday’s highlights include Juventus and Milan directors meeting to discuss Bonucci, Gonzalo Higuain and even Mattia Caldara potentially being thrown into some kind of deal. The general understanding from the reports from around Italy regarding the matter is that Bonucci, Milan’s current captain, is very much open to a return to Turin, while the preference from Milan is that a younger striker, not necessarily Higuain, should be the No. 1 option instead of spending big money on the 30-year-old Argentine.

Quick translation: Marotta, Paratici and Leonardo (Milan’s new director, not Bonucci) met in Milan to discuss both Higuain and Bonucci.

Quick translation of the headline’s general message: Juventus and Milan meet to discuss Higuain and Bonucci.

And, in case you’re wondering what Di Marzio had to say about Bonucci, here’s his latest:

Bonucci, meanwhile, would be very happy to return to Juventus, and the plan would involve a swap deal for Mattia Caldara. There has not yet been agreement on the initial valuations placed on each player. However, the sides are slated to meet again to discuss each of the open issues, there could still be agreement between the clubs to come.

So, I think you’ve gotten the general idea now. Those who are in the transfer reporting business and have plenty of insight into what might be going down are saying that Juventus and Milan are talking and they are talking about Higuain and Bonucci. There, of course, is the third part of the equation that includes Caldara — which makes me go grumble grumble grumble grumble — but the main two protagonists of these talks are Juve’s current No. 9 and their former No. 19.

August may be approaching, sure, but it definitely seems like Juventus’ roster is far from something you would consider a finished product.