Serie A—Juventus Stadium

Juventus vs. Inter Milan (kick-off 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET)

Referee: Luca Banti

Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby looks at the issues and the decisions that will shape this encounter.

Projected Lineups

Juventus: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Marchisio, Llorente, Tevez

Inter Milan: Handanovic, D’Ambrosio, Ranocchia, Juan Jesus, Dodo, Kuzmanovic, Medel, Hernanes, Kovacic, Palacio, Icardi

Join us 45 minutes prior to kick-off for team news, quotes, videos and all of your pre-match buildup.

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Fernando Torres received a hero’s welcome as 45,000 people turned out to mark his return to Atletico Madrid after a seven-and-a-half year hiatus. The success of strikers signed by Atleti in the last 10 years is truly something to marvel at, but is the romantic return of Torres doomed for footballing failure?

The new arrival was certainly pleased with the reception he received, as announced on Twitter:

The term “hero” is often used undeservedly in modern football but in the case of Torres’ relationship with Atletico, the word is fully justified. The Spaniard came through the ranks at the club and by 19 years old was captain of the side.

Torres is to Los Rojiblancos what Raul is to Real Madrid’s supporters, and what Francesco Totti is to the Roma Faithful.

The World Cup winner’s seven years spent at the Vicente Calderon Stadium only yielded one Segunda Division trophy—but the man dubbed El Nino (meaning “The Kid”) by the adoring fans became an icon, a talisman and a footballing deity in his time spent in the capital.

Then in 2007, Fernando Torres was gone.

The forward’s transfer to Liverpool was softened somewhat by the fact that Sergio Aguero had been signed a year previously. The Argentine poacher became the new idol in the red and white half of Madrid, and formed a formidable partnership with Diego Forlan.

Atletico’s ability to acquire the most suitable strikers to slot into the team was reinforced in 2011 when Radamel Falcao joined from FC Porto to replace Inter Milan-bound Forlan.

The Colombian was a revelation, netting 70 times in 91 appearances in all competitions over two seasons with the club. A front-page headline from Spanish newspaper Marca (h/t The Guardian) summed up Falcao’s performances for Atletico: “Falcao has no barriers.”

Atleti’s skill in allowing star signings to settle and start scoring so swiftly was again demonstrated with the signing of David Villa at the beginning of season 2013-2014. Some considered the former Barcelona player as a risky acquisition, a star on the wane.

Villa finished the season as the club’s second top scorer with 15 goals in all competitions. He also collected a La Liga medal as confirmation that he still had something to offer a club playing at the top level.

This season saw the arrival of Croatian hitman Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich. With Diego Costa gone, Mandzukic has taken the mantel of star striker. With 14 goals across all competitions so far this term, it seems that Los Colchoneros have made the correct choice once again.

Can the loan signing of Torres from AC Milan be compared to the signing of David Villa? Does the Atletico hierarchy believe they can rejuvenate the 30-year-old? Maybe time has stood still at the Vicente Calderon and the locals have turned a blind eye to their legend’s form since he left Liverpool.

Torres’ experience in the last five years is as extreme in its transformation as the fortunes of his boyhood club.

Atletico have forced themselves back onto the top table of European clubs, capturing La Liga (2014), the Europa League (2012) and a Copa del Rey (2013).

Torres captured an excellent haul of medals in his time at Chelsea, including a Champions League (2012), a Europa League (2013) and an FA Cup (2012). Whilst the striker showed flashes of his old brilliance, such as in the 2012 Europa League final, his personal form in general was average at best.

His performances were truly abysmal at worst.

In four seasons at Chelsea, the Spaniard scored 20 league goals in 110 Premier League appearances, not the stats of a footballer who was signed for £50 million.

Any hopes that the former Liverpool forward’s form would reignite on loan at AC Milan were dashed, as highlighted by Whoscored.com’s Twitter post:

Torres’ form is as confusing as the transfer deal which now brings him back to the club. El Nino was only a few months into a two-year loan deal from Chelsea, yet on January 5 Milan made the move permanent, only to loan the Spaniard straight to Atletico.

Football blogger David Amoyal summed up the situation in his Tweet:

Richard Williams of the Press Association (h/t The Guardian) also captured the situation succinctly:

It says everything about the state of Torres’s career that Milan, desperate for a star to fill the shirt once worn by Marco van Basten, George Weah and Andriy Shevchenko, could find use for him only as a bargaining chip.

It is wonderful for Los Rojiblancos faithful to welcome their poster boy home. For a club whose recent success has been built partly on its shrewd transfer dealings, however, this decision of heart ruling over head may come back to haunt Diego Simeone.

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As Serie A kicks back into gear following the winter break, teams will be anxious to pick up wins to boost their chances of securing their seasonal objectives, but they will also look to move into the transfer market where they can to aid their progress.

For Juventus, another league title is the obvious aim, and with the club looking for an attacking midfielder, Sky Sports have reported an interest from the Turin club in Galatasaray‘s Wesley Sneijder.

Others have also been linked with the Dutchman, so a deal isn’t going to be straightforward, but with the 30-year-old looking perhaps for a final chance to have a big impact at the top of the game, it would be a move which gives Juve strength in depth and offers Sneijder an opportunity to prove his continuing worth.

Juventus continues the pressure to sign Sneijder, Lavezzi continues to be one of the other targets for Juve & Inter. [La Stampa]

— Khaled Al Nouss (@KhaledAlNouss) January 5, 2015

Sneijder‘s Downturn

Sneijder was one of the most important parts of Inter Milan‘s treble-winning team in 2010, but within 18 months of that tremendous campaign—and the World Cup run to the final with Netherlands which followed—his influence on the team had started to wane.

He has spent the past two years with Galatasaray in Turkey, scoring nine in all competitions last season and being a regular performer but not making great waves in the Champions League, either with his own performances or the team’s success.

While he isn’t quite as dynamic or explosive throughout a 90 minutes as he once was, Sneijder remains a key figure with the national team and has played more than 1,100 minutes in the Super Lig this term, the fifth-highest in his team’s squad. There is clearly no issue with his ability to play at a high level, with frequency, and to demand more success.

Juve Attack

Now under Mass Allegri’s tutelage, Juventus have lost just once this season in Serie A and sit top of the table, having scored more and conceded fewer than any other top-flight Italian side.

The back-three system has been replaced by a flat four, with a diamond or narrow three in midfield, meaning Allegri is looking for a new attacking, creative option, as he said on Sky Sports:

It’s not easy to reinforce Juve, but we have some very clear ideas, and it’s no secret that we are looking for an attacking midfielder and a defender. Sneijder has tremendous technical quality and would complete an already very strong part of the team, creating competition for places.

Before the winter break, Roberto Pereyra filled the most advanced central role, but he was subbed in each of the final three games against Sampdoria, Cagliari and Napoli. Adding Sneijder to the mix would certainly bring experience and technique, if not the dribbling ability and pace which the Dutchman possessed last time he starred in Italy.

I love Berardi but I’m a bigger fan of Juventus signing players they need today that will make a difference. Sneijder isn’t that @TuzNico

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) January 3, 2015

Final Chance

There has long been talk of teams of the like of Manchester United or indeed Juve looking at Sneijder, but having fallen out of favour at Inter and then accepting a move to Galatasaray—a big team, but not a big league—it is clear that the Dutchman’s career was already on the wane.

I always pay attention to the reaction of fans who could lose a player, both Liverpool & Galatasaray fans very upset over Suso & Sneijder

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) January 6, 2015

Italy’s top flight is not at its strongest point right now, and that the top club in the country would consider bringing Sneijder back at this point, likely to be a regular performer, is perhaps an indication of that.

However, he does remain a talented individual who, when used correctly, can have a game-changing impact still. If the fire is still within him to have a crack at the top, with Juve looking for more honours and utilising a system which could suit Sneijder, this might be the perfect, and last, opportunity for the World Cup finalist to show his capabilities to the world.

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It is widely accepted that Tottenham Hotspur blew the Gareth Bale money, compounded by their failure to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition, the UEFA Champions League. With a bulging bank balance, the North London outfit promptly went on a splurge your average WAG would be proud of, bringing in a whole host of names that ultimately led to more questions than solutions.

As the various new arrivals lined up for pre-season photos in the summer of 2013, the phrase “seven hamburgers don’t make a steak” came to mind, and their shopping spree has subsequently gone on to prove that stockpiling numbers can be far less effective than the acquisition, or possession of, one world-class game changer. Liverpool appear to have fallen into the same track this season following the exit of Luis Suarez.

One player who has fallen far down the White Hart Lane pecking order is midfield-engine Paulinho.

A £17 million signing 18 months ago, the Brazil international has not made a single Premier League start this term, instead being used primarily in the Thursday night specials in the Europa League.

Per Whoscored.com stats, three of his last 10 outings have lasted less than 10 minutes. It is a remarkable fall for a player who was a key feature in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Confederations Cup success, and also featured heavily at last year’s main event.

Prior to pitching up in London, the midfielder had struck up an effective midfield partnership at Brazilian outfit Corinthians with holding man and enforcer Ralf. Together, they lifted the 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro, the 2012 Copa Libertadores and helped defeat Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Those major triumphs of course came under the tutorship of Tite, now back at the helm of the Corinthians ship. And he has, according to Globo Esporte (link in Portuguese), requested the return of Paulinho, dragging him out of his White Hart Lane misery.

But is the move a beneficial one for the 26-year-old? The midfielder has clearly failed to settle in London. Barely had he unpacked his bags before he was being linked with moves away from the Champions League-aspiring side.

But the calibre of club with which he has been linked is significantly different. Not so long ago Paulinho was rumoured to be pitching up at the likes of title-chasing AS Roma, or European champions Real Madrid, as reported by The Daily Telegraph just 12 months previously.

A move back to the Paulista club—who have secured Libertadores football for the 2015 season—so soon after his multi-million pound transfer would surely register as an enormously disappointing failure on the part of the Brazilian, in not managing to make his mark on one of Europe’s most competitive leagues.

Mauricio Pochettino has evidently decided he can do without the energetic middle man, whose total football played this season amounts to less than five full games, looking again at those Whoscored.com stats.

For a player approaching his prime, and with as much potential as Paulinho possesses, that is simply not enough. He has recently been linked with a move to Inter Milan, per The Daily Mirror, a club whose drastic fall mirrors that of their transfer target.

But one would imagine a move to the Arena Corinthians would be more appealing, and the Timao would have an edge even over reigning Brasileirao champions Cruzeiro, also linked with the player according to Globo Esporte (link in Portuguese), in repatriating the Selecao international.

The aforementioned Globo (link in Portuguese) article also references that the player remains in contact with several players at the club, something which indicates that his heart remains in Sao Paulo.

Regaining the confidence and momentum he had previously built could be his ticket back into the international fold. He started every game at the FIFA World Cup bar the semi-final defeat to Germany, despite not playing regular football under former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, and it is entirely feasible his confidence has been shot to bits as his role at the Premier League club has diminished.

In the same way it is hoped that a move back to Vicente Calderon will help to rejuvenate the once venomous Fernando Torres, perhaps a similar switch can help Paulinho find his lungs again, not to mention a role in Dunga’s Brazil plans for the Copa America.

It may be an admission of failure for the time being, but in this instance one step back could end up meaning two steps forward.

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Serie A returns from its festive hiatus and to kickstart the action in 2015 is a Derby d’Italia, with Juventus and Internazionale set to lock horns at the Juventus Stadium. The longstanding rivalry between these two teams always makes for an intriguing occasion and this year will surely be no different as each side looks to begin the year in style.

The Bianconeri currently lead AS Roma by three points at the top of the table and will be desperate to accrue some momentum after the break. Inter are harbouring slightly lesser ambitions than Juve this season and although they’re currently languishing down in a meagre 11th position in the table, they’re just six points off third-place Napoli.

With supporters from across Italy keen to get back into the swing of things expect quite a din to be created by the 40,000 packed into the home of the Turin club. For those not lucky enough to be there in person, here are all the details you need on where to catch what should be an engrossing 90 minutes on the box or via an online stream.

Date: Tuesday, Jan. 6

Time: 8 p.m. (GMT), 3 p.m. (ET)

Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (U.S.)

TV Info: beIN Sports (U.S.), ESPN UK (UK)

Bianconeri Looking To Build On Excellent Home Record

This particular fixture obviously stirs emotions given the magnitude of the teams involved, but on the face of things, it shouldn’t be too volatile an occasion considering the geography of the two teams. But over the years, it’s come to resemble a regional rivalry and subsequently, it’s evolved into one of the most fiercely contested matches anywhere in European football.

When you consider that Juventus are unbeaten in their last 35 home matches in Serie A, Internazionale have quite a task on their hands. But after being busy in the early days of the transfer window—they’ve just signed Lukas Podolski on loan, per the Guardian—Roberto Mancini will be hopeful of his team springing a surprise.

Mancini welcomed the German to the club on his Twitter account:

Inter must improve on the form that was showcased in the latter stages of 2014, though. They’ve won just one of their last seven games in Serie A and as of yet, Mancini has yet to get this team playing with the swagger it’s capable of. The Nerazzurri’s away record leaves much to be desired too, having picked up just two wins from their eight away games so far.

In truth, it’s very difficult to see that changing when they make the trip to Turin. Massimiliano Allegri’s team are in wonderful form and with Roma facing a tricky trip to Udinese earlier in the day, it could be an opportunity for the league leaders to extent their three-point buffer in the race for the Scudetto.

They’re also looking to bolster their squad in the January window according to David Amoyal of gianlucadimarzio.net, by bringing in two players who previously played for their upcoming opponents no less:

But the squad Allegri has at his disposal is pretty formidable as is. In Carlos Tevez, Juve currently have the hottest striker in Serie A and as we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, the Bianconeri have a host of players that have been in exceptional form throughout the course of 2014:

Indeed, a quick rundown of the quality bristling from every pore of this Juventus squad tells you all that you need to know ahead of this one. The hosts will be far too strong for an Inter side in the midst of a major transition and if the Giallorossi do slip up at Udinese, expect an especially focused and clinical display from the Bianconeri.

Inter’s best hope here is to sit deep, look to hit Juve on the break and ride their luck. It remains to be seen whether Podolski will feature—he’ll provide a much needed boost if he does—but even so, the pressure the home side are likely to put Mancini’s men under will eventually be too much to handle.

Prediction: Juventus 3-0 Internazionale

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Lukas Podolski is set to leave Arsenal for Italian giants Inter Milan on loan, with the idea being that the German international may join the club permanently come the end of the season.

It’s a move that makes sense for him and not just because of a lack of playing time so far this season.

Podolski was not handed a single Premier League start for the first six months of this campaign, often watching Yaya Sanogo start ahead of him. It was thus a frustrating period for the forward, who has scored 47 goals in 121 appearances for world champions Germany at just 29 years of age.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was unable to get the best out of Podolski, often struggling to fit him into a 4-2-3-1 cum 4-3-3 formation that places high requirements on fluidity in attacking positions.

Podolski has always been a more direct attacker, and although he has often played out wide at international level, his style was ultimately incompatible with Arsenal, whose wide players tend to cut inside and interchange on occasion.

Added to that, he is not an aerial threat, meaning he was unable to function at full utility as Arsenal’s lone spearhead when given the opportunity to play as an out-and-out striker.

It is important to state that Podolski was not solely at fault for his struggles at Arsenal, something the Telegraph‘s Jeremy Wilson suggests, saying:

Podolski‘s problem is not one of opportunity or quality but his own failure to sufficiently adapt his game to the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 systems that most teams now employ.

Wilson is correct in stating the issue pertains to Arsenal’s system, but he is wrong to lay the blame for that at Podolski‘s door. Instead, the questions should be put to Wenger as to why he signed a player who didn’t suit his own agenda.

Podolski didn’t fit the Arsenal mold, but there are several important qualities that he brings with him to Inter Milan that could make the move mutually beneficial for both club and player.

Firstly, Podolski has mobility, which is something Inter have been lacking in attacking areas of late. The club has plenty of craft going forward, what with the presence of Mateo Kovacic and Mauro Icardi, but most of the team’s pace comes from its full-backs.

The addition of Podolski thus adds a new dimension—speed—to Inter’s forward line.

Secondly, he is an adept goalscorer. This may not have been in evidence towards the end of his Arsenal days, but Podolski is a relatively efficient finisher. This is crucial as Inter have had to do without an in-form Rodrigo Palacio, who has gone missing this season.

Podolski was rendered unable to prove this in the Premier League this season due to a lack of playing time, but his performances in the Champions League, where he scored three goals, were telling.

Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck equalled Podolski‘s record of three goals in this competition, but Podolski only started one Champions League game, while the former two were regulars.

As per whoscored.com, Podolski not only played far less, but he also completed just 1.2 shots-per-game compared to Welbeck‘s 3.5 and Sanchez’s 3. These are numbers that make Podolski‘s Premier League inactivity all the more strange.

It is also important to note that Podolski has often been used on the left wing throughout his career. This is something that makes his addition to the Inter ranks all the more curious. His versatility poses the question: Exactly where will he play for the nerazurri?

Roberto Mancini returned as Inter manager on 14 November 2014, and he is still to find his best team, though recent tactical errors have at least provided him with mistakes to learn from.

In Inter’s last game before the winter break, they drew 2-2 at home to Lazio. Starting the game in a 4-4-2 format, they were overrun in midfield, where Kovacic was playing in a more withdrawn role, and Yuto Nagatomo and Fredy Guarin started the match out of position on the wings.

As half-time approached and Inter found themselves 0-2 down, Mancini introduced Gary Medel for Dodo. Nagatomo reverted to left-back, and the team reverted to a 4-3-1-2 formation. The change worked, as Inter stemmed the tide before coming back to draw in the second half.

The way Inter use Podolski will be integral to the way they line up. The club has lacked width in attacking areas in recent years, with former manager Walter Mazzarri preferring to use wing-backs in a 3-5-2 system.

Now Mancini has dispensed with the use of wing-backs but lacks wingers. In Podolski‘s arrival, this issue is partly solved.

Mancini may now decide to play a version of 4-3-3 with Podolski on the left of a front three. In this situation, Palacio would play on the right, with Icardi in the centre. Kovacic could support from midfield, allowing two of Medel, Guarin and Zdravko Kuzmanovic to hold.

What is more likely, however, is that Mancini learns from the errors of that first-half against Lazio and uses a 4-3-1-2. Mancini used this formation in his first spell at Inter, and it makes sense for him to do so now in his second spell with the club.

The 4-3-1-2 allows Inter to get the best out of Kovacic, who has consistently shown that he is more comfortable when given more license to create.

Playing a solid three of Medel, Kuzmanovic and Guarin in the middle allows Mancini to release the defensive shackles from Kovacic, who is an exceptional young technician.

This format also allows Podolski to play up front where, unlike at Arsenal, he will not be expected to plough a lone furrow, as in this system he would be partnered by Icardi. The combination of Icardi‘s flair and finesse alongside Podolski‘s powerful finishing could be a successful synergy.

Podolski may not have ever truly settled amidst Arsene Wenger‘s aesthetic and tactical demands, but he will fit in nicely at Inter, where there is a more favourable setup for him to enter.

Arsenal fans will also be the first to know what a change in culture can do for a player.

Dennis Bergkamp was a few years younger when he swapped Inter Milan for their club in 1995, having struggled in Italy. Nonetheless, he rekindled his career in London, becoming an Arsenal legend over 11 seasons with the club.

Like Bergkamp, when the chips are down, Podolski tends to come back firing. He did so having failed to make the grade with Bayern Munich, and he should find similar motivation now upon leaving Arsenal.

That motivation, along with a system that suits him better, should see Podolski find his best form once again in Serie A.

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In the FA Cup tie with Hull City, Costa Rica international Joel Campbell was handed a rare opportunity to impress. An energetic performance is likely to have ensured he will remain at the club beyond the expiry of the January transfer window. However, that doesn’t guarantee he will remain at Arsenal in the longer term: Question marks remain over his ability to establish himself at the Emirates Stadium.

On first look, it appears as if Campbell stands to be the major beneficiary of Lukas Podolski’s loan move to Inter Milan (which, according to Matt Morlidge of the Daily Mail, is on the verge of completion).

Both men are left-footed forwards who are more suitable to playing in wide roles than through the middle. Both, too, have been predominantly confined to the substitutes bench this season. With Podolski gone, Campbell ought to be granted more chances.

So it proved against Hull. Campbell started on the left-hand side, but showcased some of the attributes that seemingly make him a better fit for Arsenal than the cannon-booted German. He has real pace, and a fluidity of movement that allows him to interchange positions effectively with the likes of Alexis Sanchez.

What’s more, he showed a willingness to track back when required, making several challenges deep within Arsenal territory. An unwillingness or inability to do the same dogged defensive work is one of the key reasons Podolski fell out of favour.

However, he does not share the former Bayern man’s ruthless ability to finish. Campbell was the recipient of two presentable opportunities and spurned them both. He may blame rustiness, but a pattern is beginning to emerge: He also missed several gilt-edged chances in the Champions League game at Galatasaray.

One can’t escape the sense that Campbell’s abilities are sometimes exaggerated by his supporters. Beyond brief glimpses of talent in the Greek league and at the World Cup, there is little to suggest he’s a player of elite ability.

Campbell’s popularity among the Arsenal fans is at least in part due to their disillusionment with Arsene Wenger. Last season, fans were understandably baffled by the decision to blood Yaya Sanogo while sending Campbell out on his umpteenth loan. The subsequent decision to confine Campbell to the bench has become a stick to beat Wenger with.

However, that shouldn’t be allowed to detract from rigorous analysis of Campbell’s potential. Is there really a scenario in which Campbell goes on to establish himself as a regular first-team player at Arsenal? It’s difficult to foresee.

At present, the likes of Alexis, Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all ahead of him in the queue for a first-team place. It’s unlikely that Campbell will manage to supersede that selection of star talent.

The Costa Rica international will then face a decision: Is he prepared to spend the prime period of his career as a mere squad player? Arsenal are a wonderful club, but Campbell’s development is likely to be stunted by a lack of playing time. He must decide where his priorities lie. As a regular international, it’s difficult to see him being content with such a reduced role at club level.

With Podolski set for Inter, and Wenger openly touting Yaya Sanogo as a loan option (per Arseblog News) for Premier League clubs, Campbell would initially appear to be a winner of this January transfer window. However, the reality is that Sanogo will get more playing time on loan than Campbell will at Arsenal. There is a risk that he will merely fade back in to obscurity, a squad option only called upon for a cup run that could end at any point.

Come the summer, it seems likely that Campbell’s future will be very much in doubt.

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One of last summer’s most persistent transfer rumours has resurfaced at the start of the January window, as the latest reports are once again talking about Manchester United and their interest in Juventus star Arturo Vidal.

According to the Daily Star (h/t the Independent‘s Tom Sheen), the Chile international could be made available during the summer window if his performances don’t improve. The Daily Express‘ Anthony Chapman previously reported a similar story:

The Chile international came close to joining the Red Devils during the summer after Louis van Gaal tabled a bid of around £40million.

However, Vidal turned down the opportunity to move to Old Trafford, but has failed to hit the same heights of last season in Turin.

Paul Pogba is now Massimo Allegri’s main man in midfield, and reports in Italy claim that Vidal will be sold in the summer unless he can show some consistency following a number of injury issues mainly to do with his knee.

The 27-year-old midfielder had surgery on his knee ahead of the 2014 World Cup and struggled upon his return to Turin, needing several months to regain his old form. He has only started 10 Serie A matches so far, but has found the net on five occasions, per WhoScored.com.

Reports of Vidal’s poor performances have been somewhat exaggerated: The Chilean didn’t look himself for the first two months of the current campaign but has turned things around since then. While he’s still not back to his old self, he was one of Juventus‘ top players in the month of December.

He ended 2014 with a fantastic performance against Cagliari, scoring a beautiful curled effort and receiving the highest match rating from Italian newspapers Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport, via Khaled Al Nouss:

After the match, he told Sky Sports Italia (h/t Goal’s Mark Doyle) he intends to get back to his best form in 2015:

I want to get back to being one of the best [in the world] in 2015 and I’m working a lot to achieve this.

It was important to win this evening and we did that well. We have played against a difficult team and we have produced a good game. It was important to finish 2014 in first place.

The Bianconeri may not be looking to offload Vidal anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean a transfer is off the table. The emergence of Paul Pogba as Juventus‘ top dog in midfield and the strong play of Roberto Pereyra mean the Italian champions have the pieces in place to cope with losing the Chilean, unlike last summer.

Both Pogba and Vidal are popular names in the gossip pages, and given the financial struggles of Italian football, it would be difficult for Juventus to run down a significant offer for one of their top midfielders. BeIN Sports’ Tancredi Palmeri expects at least one of the duo to leave the club:

Pogba‘s new contract makes Vidal the odd man out, so while it’s too early to start speculating about where the Chilean ends up ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, expect the rumours surrounding his future to continue.

Meanwhile, the agent of Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Motta has voiced his concerns regarding his client’s status at his current club, warning the French champions plenty of clubs, including the Red Devils, would be interested in the Italy international.

Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Squawka’s Daniel Anwar), he said:

Nobody at PSG has decided to defend Thiago Motta after an article in a French newspaper, so my son (the other agent) pointed out that if the problem is him, we could talk about those who need a midfielder like Thiago. And many seek an important midfielder like him. Inter, AC Milan, Manchester United and Real Madrid where there is Ancelotti who knows him well.

If the directors of PSG were to think that the problem is Thiago, for the good of Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago does not want to be unwanted guest.

The midfielder has been a regular starter for Les Bleus in 2014-15 but has failed to live up to the lofty expectations, and via Ligue1.com’s Matt Spiro, La Gazzetta dello Sport believes the 32-year-old feels underappreciated:

Motta does his best work next to compatriot Marco Verratti, shielding the young pass-maestro and providing him with ample time to work his magic. The former Inter Milan midfielder is a work-horse above all else, something Louis van Gaal would certainly appreciate.

The Red Devils’ midfield has looked solid, if unspectacular during the current campaign, and Bleacher Report’s Ryan Bailey and Andy Brassell agree the squad could use an addition in that area:

Le Parisien (h/t Bleacher report’s Jonathan Johnson) also believe he is free to leave the club in January, opening the door for a potential transfer:

Price will be the key question: Motta is 32 and slowly nearing the end of his career, so while he makes perfect sense as a short-term reinforcement, United know they won’t be making a long-term investment.

PSG still use Motta as a regular starter, and while they could no doubt find a replacement—youngster Adrien Rabiot comes to mind—they’ll be in no rush to offload the veteran, despite his agent’s comments.

The Italian could still be worth a punt, however, and for the right price, Van Gaal could bring in an experienced veteran who would boost the squad’s chances of finishing the season in the top three of the Premier League standings.

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