Juventus are said to be fighting Chelsea in the battle for the Brazilian starlet Thiago Maia.
According to the Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the Old Lady will scout the player this weekend and hope they can get the help of agent Kia Joorabchian to get the deal done.
This partnership would work because the club reportedly already have a gentleman’s agreement with Kia. First they wanted Carlos Tevez to return, then the arrival of Javier Mascherano. As neither of them happened, Maia would be an option for the agent to favour the Italian side.
But Calcio Mercato claims that Chelsea are still in pole position. Antonio Conte is said to be an admirer of the midfielder and thinks he’d do well in the Premier League. Chelsea also have a good relationship with Joorabchian, which may cancel the Juve advantage out.
The Blues would be ready to spend ‘more than ten million’ on the player, but the website can’t say how far would Juve go.
The rumours linking Thiago Maia to Chelsea have gone cold since the summer, although the player didn’t rule out an exit at the end of the Brazilian season, which happens in December.
Problem is that his form has dropped a lot since the Olympics, where he started well and ended up losing his place. His return to Santos wasn’t good either, and the player has been struggling to show his talent ever since. So if Chelsea keep scouting him, they’ll probably be worried with the football he’s been playing in the last few months.
Santos’ spot in the Copa Libertadores 2016 could maybe convince the player to stay, as he claims he won’t force his way out because of his respect for the club. Maybe that would be the best choice for him to get back his old form.
