Juventus identify three targets for two roles after missing out on Araujo | OneFootball

After raising the white flag on the Ronald Araujo track, Juventus are looking to sign two out of their three remaining transfer targets.

The Serie A giants reportedly had an agreement in hand with the Uruguayan defender and his entourage. However, Inigo Martinez’s injury changed the landscape. The Blaugrana were no longer willing to release Araujo, and even sprinted to secure an accord on a contract extension, thus shutting the door firm on Juve’s attempts.

So according to Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla, the Bianconeri will now resort to three main targets as they look to bring in two new centre-backs before the end of the January transfer session.

Juventus have already secured the signings of right-back Alberto Costa and versatile attacker Randal Kolo Muani, but reinforcing the heart of the backline remains the main priority for the club after losing Gleison Bremer to injury, with Danilo negotiating his release.

The first name on Cristiano Giuntoli’s wishlist remains David Hancko, the 27-year-old Slovakian defender who has been a rock at the back for Feyenoord. The former Fiorentina man is reportedly worth 30 million euros, but the main hurdle remains the Dutch club’s desire to keep him in Rotterdam at least until the end of the season.

If Juventus were to miss out on Hancko, they could resort to Kevin Danso, a 26-year-old Austria international who has been sharpening his tools at Lens since 2021. Pedulla believes the Bianconeri might have better luck at finding an agreement with the Ligue 1 side.

Finally, Fikayo Tomori remains an option for the Old Lady, even though this operation has been complicated by the appointment of Sergio Conceicao as new Milan head coach and the recent injury to his teammate Malick Thiaw. Hence, the Englishman remains an unlikely option at this stage.