Juventus laying the groundwork to sign Brazilian defender in January | OneFootball

Juventus have reportedly identified Leo Ortiz as the right profile to replace his compatriot Gleison Bremer in Thiago Motta’s defensive department.

Sadly for the Bianconeri, they have been deprived of the services of their most reliable centre-back, as Bremer will likely remain out of action until the end of the season after sustaining a devastating ACL injury.

The 27-year-old left the pitch in agony and tears in the Champions League contest against RB Leipzig, so the writing was immediately on the wall.

Therefore, Motta has been left with limited options at the back. Federico Gatti and Pierre Kalulu have been his main options, while club captain Danilo has been showing worrying signs of decline, especially in his last two outings against Stuttgart and Inter, gifting penalty kicks on both occasions.

Therefore, Juventus are preparing to enter the market in January and bolster Motta’s defensive department with a new centre-back.

While several names have been mentioned as potential candidates for the role, Tuttosport (via JuventusNews24) claims the management is already at work to bring in Ortiz.

The 28-year-old started his career at Internacional before moving to Red Bull Bragantino and making a name for himself in Brazil. The defender then signed for Flamengo in March 2024, penning a five-year-old contract with the Rio De Janeiro giants.

The Turin-based newspaper claims Juventus have been working on this track over the past few weeks, laying the groundwork for the Brazilian’s possible arrival in January.

The Bianconeri are thus looking to strike an agreement with Flamengo as well as the player’s entourage. This would be Ortiz’s first experience on the European scene.

In the meantime, Motta will have to navigate with the current crop of players. So it remains to be seen if the coach will be looking to move players into the heart of the backline.