Manchester City have made Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci one of their priorities this summer, and the Serie A champions could struggle to fend them off.
The 29-year-old has been a crucial part of the Bianconeri’s success in recent years, and he continued to show just how influential he can be at Euro 2016 with the Azzurri.
However, he’s been targeted by new City boss Pep Guardiola, who sees him as the ideal player to lead his defence next season.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, City are now pushing as hard as they can to land the former Bari ace, and are ready to offer a salary of €8m per season for five years.
That would allow him to double what he currently earns in Turin, and it’s no surprise that the report claims he’s tempted by the move.
Furthermore, with a fee of €60m being touted as a likely offer from the Premier League giants, it will also test Juve’s resolve in the coming weeks with Bonucci’s agent said to be in the UK this week.
Gazzetta add that Juve will try to solve the issue by offering Bonucci a renewal with an increased salary, although that could turn out to be problematic in itself.
It’s suggested that increasing Bonucci’s wages significantly would result in other members of Massimiliano Allegri’s squad also asking for a raise, which in turn would put financial pressure on the club and force them to depart from their budget currently in place.