The summer window is a strange beast, isn't it It can turn the most calculated of plans into a frantic scramble. One minute you are courting establish...
The summer window is a strange beast, isn't it It can turn the most calculated of plans into a frantic scramble. One minute you are courting established names, the next you are peering over the garden fence at a neighbour's asset. That is precisely the situation brewing in Turin, where the Old Lady's protracted hunt for a new number one has taken an intriguing, and somewhat unexpected, detour across the capital.GoalZaza can confirm that Juventus have made an initial enquiry regarding Roma's Mile Svilar. This is not a done deal, not by a long stretch. It is more of a probe, a quiet knock on the door to see if there is any appetite to talk. The logic is brutally simple. Their primary targets, reportedly Diogo Costa and Guglielmo Vicario, have hit a brick wall. Negotiations have stalled, terms are not aligning, and the Bianconeri are starting to feel the pressure of the ticking clock. When your Plan A and Plan B begin to wobble, you turn your gaze to Plan C.And what a Plan C Svilar might be. He is not the polished, ready made superstar some might clamour for. He is a project, a goalkeeper of raw physicality and increasingly confident distribution who has finally been given a consistent run in the Roma side. Think about it from a tactical perspective. Thiago Motta, the new man at the helm, wants to build from the back. He needs a sweeper keeper, a footballer who is as comfortable with the ball at his feet as he is making a reflex save. Svilar fits that mould. He has the agility to cover the space behind a high defensive line and the composure to play out of a press. It is a calculated gamble, a bet on potential rather than established pedigree.Of course, prising him away from the Stadio Olimpico will require a hefty dose of diplomacy and a significant cheque. Roma view him as a key piece in their own rebuild. Daniele De Rossi is not in the business of handing Juventus his first choice goalkeeper on a silver platter, especially not to a direct rival. This is where the negotiation gets messy. Do Juve have the stomach for a long, drawn out saga Or will they bottle it and return to their original targets with a sweeter offer The next fortnight will tell us everything. For now, the needle has moved. And in a transfer market that thrives on movement, that is all that matters.This is not a headline signing that will send shockwaves through a Champions League dressing room. It is a smart, pragmatic piece of business from a club that knows it cannot afford to stand still. Juventus need a new spine, and it starts between the sticks. If the Vicario deal is dead in the water, and the Martinez pursuit has gone cold, then why not roll the dice on a young man with everything to prove Squeaky bum time has arrived early in Turin.
