Fonseca tips Portuguese defender Tiago Djaló for success ahead of imminent Juventus move | OneFootball

Lille’s Tiago Djaló is expected to sign for Italian giants Juventus before the end of the January transfer window, just weeks after returning to training following a serious knee injury.

Djaló has not played since last March when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament setback, but with his contract due to expire in the summer the 23-year-old is headed to Turin on a cut-price deal.

According to various reports, Lille will receive a transfer fee of just €3.5m plus bonuses, while the French side are likely to retain a clause allowing them a percentage of any future sale. Djaló is booked for a medical on Wednesday according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Speaking about the deal, Lille’s Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca confirmed the former Sporting prosect is nearing a return to action. Fonseca also suggested Djaló, who spent six months at AC Milan in 2019 before heading to France at the same time Rafael Leão left Lille for San Siro, will have little problems settling in Serie A.

“Djaló has been training for two weeks and is integrating well into the group, always with good intensity and at the right pace,” Fonseca said. “I think it may take one or two more games to see him back on the pitch. We can say he is almost ready to return. We miss him, before he got injured he was playing well and helping us a lot. It’s difficult to find a central defender so easily.

“He is ready to help Juventus’ defence. I respect his decision to live his first real adventure in Italy, because when he lived at Milan he was still very young. He has grown a lot as a player and as a man. Now he also has much more experience than before, he already knows the language and I think that can help him adapt sooner than expected in a team as important as Juventus.”

Djaló will join Juventus in the midst of an impressive season for the Bianconeri, who are unbeaten since September and find themselves five points off Serie A leaders Inter with a game in-hand. As well as their strong league form, Juve are also in the semi-final of the Coppa Italia, where they meet Lazio in a two-legged tie in April.

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