According to TuttoSport, Italian giants Juventus have included West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals in their shortlist of potential replacements for Paul Pogba, as relays the WHZ. Juventus’ new sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli, is set to evaluate Pogba’s future at the club following a season plagued with injuries that limited him to just six league appearances.
Fornals is joined on the shortlist by several talented attacking midfielders, including Yusuf Yazıcı from Lille, Sergej Milinković-Savić from Lazio, and Daichi Kamada from Frankfurt. Although Fornals has received a decent amount of playing time under David Moyes at West Ham, he hasn’t been a consistent standout performer this season.
With Harvey Barnes potentially joining West Ham, it is possible that Fornals’ time in east London may come to an end, especially considering he only has one year remaining on his contract. Fornals scored seven goals in all competitions for West Ham last season and made a substitute appearance in their victorious Europa Conference League final, demonstrating his abilities at the highest level.
A move to one of the world’s biggest teams would be an enticing option for Fornals, despite Juventus’ recent legal issues regarding Financial Fair Play, which could result in their exclusion from European competition next season. It is worth noting that West Ham has also been linked with Juventus’ Denis Zakaria. However, any potential transfer involving Fornals or Zakaria ultimately depends on the future of Paul Pogba. If Pogba remains fit and committed to Juventus’ rebuilding project, he can still be a influential midfielder in Serie A under the guidance of manager Max Allegri.