Report: ‘Growing optimism’ as Juve continue talks with Udinese for Nahuel Molina

It’s been a few years in which Juventus has done business with their old pals at Udinese. That has something to do with the fact that Udinese haven’t exactly been lighting the world of Serie A on fire and producing talent that is ready for the jump up over the last few years. But this summer looks to be different, and that means a return to the bargaining tables with an old pal.

We know of Juventus’ reported interest in young Italian left back Destiny Udogie, which you can completely understand based on the 19-year-old skillset. And it looks like Juve are also trying to swing something for the guy who plays on the opposite flank from Udogie, too.

According to Friday’s edition of Tuttosport, Juventus are now trying to swing a deal for the man who occupies the right side of Udinese’s defense, too. That guy is 24-year-old Argentine Nahuel Molina, somebody who has impressed during his time in Italy and gave the Italian national team plenty of problems during the Finalissima at Wembley earlier in the week, is viewed as the right back of the future for a defense that is filled with players over the age of 30 and in need of some new blood.

While the two sides aren’t close to an agreement just yet, Tuttosport reports there is “growing confidence” from Juventus’ side of things that something can get done and contact between Federico Cherubini and Giampaolo Pozzo are frequent and positive.

Tuttosport also includes a potential price tag that Udinese are asking for Molina: €25-30 million — which is quite the investment for a fullback that Juve haven’t made in more than a couple of years.

Molina, who like Udogie played more wingback than as an actual fullback because of Udinese’s 3-5-2 setup, finished with the third-highest goal tally on his team (7) despite the fact that he is a defender. That is something that Juventus’ squad would very much benefit from — if not the goals just the fact that they would have an attacking-minded option come into a team that is coming off a season in which they were very much starved for goals, finishing with their lowest goal-scoring tally in over a decade.

He may not be the standout defender that some of the other names Juventus might be linked with this summer, but his defensive numbers are essentially in line with what Juan Cuadrado did this summer. That’s obviously nothing that will blow you away, but it’s not really going to spell complete disaster, either. And with the way this game is going and how attacking Serie A has gotten, signing a very good attacking fullback is not a bad idea. (Now, to only get Juve’s current manager to be a little more attacking, too, right?)

There have been previous rumors that Juventus could include somebody like Filippo Ranocchia — one of Juve’s young midfielder group that is set to return to the club this summer after a year on loan in Serie B — in the deal, with Udinese very much interested in the 21-year-old Italian. And if that’s the price tag that Udinese want for Molina, it would make sense for Juve to try and bring it down a little bit with a player who is very much on the cusp of demanding Serie A minutes.