All eyes on Samardzic in Juventus-Udinese as Old Lady look for midfield additions

Lazar Samardzic will find himself at the centre of attention when Udinese face Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on Monday, as he could effectively be auditioning for a role in the Old Lady’s midfield for next season, reports suggest.

Juventus look set to make a major investment in the summer to upgrade their current midfield options. With Paul Pogba not looking likely to return to Bianconeri colours, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli already has a few ideas in mind.

The prime target, according to reports in recent weeks, is Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners, who could cost Juve up to €60m. However, Samardzic has also been a long-term target for Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

Samardzic’s father Mladen, who is also an advisor to his son, will be in attendance at the Allianz Stadium on Monday evening. La Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that the meeting of the two sides is also an ideal time for a meeting between Samardzic’s father and representatives from Juventus.

Juve also have several other names still left to consider ahead of the summer transfer window, including Atalanta’s Ederson, Bologna’s Lewis Ferguson and Tottenham’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.