According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus general manager Paolo Maldini is interested in signing Sassuolo midfielder Bakola, with a move potentially happening as early as January next year.

Maldini greatly admires the young player and believes Bakola possesses a Premier League-level "engine," with the potential to join the French national team in the future.

Juventus and Sassuolo officials previously watched matches together. Juventus general manager Maldini and Sassuolo sporting director Francesco Palmieri have already made contact and will continue discussions in the coming weeks.

Maldini hopes to sign Daryl Bakola. The player joined Sassuolo from Marseille in January 2024 for a transfer fee of 12 million euros. The 20-year-old Bakola, a France U21 international, has performed well this season. He has made 6 appearances in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, contributing 2 assists.

Juventus hopes to act early to avoid competition from English clubs. Bakola could join in January, or at the latest, in the summer. If negotiations do not progress, Juventus will still aim for a preferential option in the summer of 2025.

Juventus and Sassuolo have a strong working relationship. This summer, the two clubs jointly completed the transfer of Tarik Muharemovic to Leeds United for 38 million euros. Vasilije Adzic has performed excellently on loan at Sassuolo, making 6 appearances in the league and Coppa Italia, scoring 4 goals and providing 1 assist. Sassuolo has a buy option, while Juventus retains a counter-buy option.

Influenced by injuries to key midfielders, Maldini plans to make an attempt for Bakola in January. However, Sassuolo is currently unwilling to let go of the French midfielder mid-season.

The deal could be worth around 30 million euros, possibly including players as bargaining chips. After missing out on midfield targets this summer, Juventus hopes to add dynamism to the midfield. The club's targets include Bakola and Marseille captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the former potentially joining in January and the latter possibly waiting until summer.

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com