Chelsea and Manchester City are reportedly set to be left disappointed as Juventus expect Leonardo Bonucci to sign a new contract extension.
According to Tuttosport, all that remains is for the Italian international to put pen to paper on the new deal, with Bonucci extending his stay in Turin until 2021 and he will earn between €4.5m and €5m per season.
It’s added in the report that it’s a measure to fend off interest from Pep Guardiola, with the Spaniard said to be keen to make Bonucci a pivotal figure in his City backline moving forward.
Further, as reported by The Telegraph last month, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had given the green light to launch a £60m-plus bid for the 29-year-old in order to bolster Antonio Conte’s defence.
It would have taken a world-record bid for a defender to prise him away from Juve given his importance to the club, while Bonucci also continues to shine on the international stage as a crucial part of the Azzurri squad.
However, it doesn’t appear as though he will be plying his trade in the Premier League any time soon, as the Bianconeri have made their move to ensure that he commits his long-term future to the club.
In turn, both Guardiola and Conte will now have to look elsewhere with both coaches still needing to address their respective defences.
Conte’s switch to a 3-4-3 has made a significant difference to Chelsea’s form but whether he’s entirely happy with his current back three for the foreseeable future remains to be seen.
As for Guardiola, with Vincent Kompany’s injury history, he is still arguably looking for a perfect partner for John Stones and will no longer hope that Bonucci is the man to fill the role.