Juventus Pursue Tijjani Reijnders as Kessié Talks Drag

Juventus have opened talks with Manchester City over Tijjani Reijnders, moving to line up an alternative in case their pursuit of free agent Franck Kessié continues to stall.

According to reports in Italy, the Turin club have made what are being described as exploratory contacts on two fronts: with Reijnders’ camp, to understand how keen the Dutch midfielder would be on joining, and with City, to check the Premier League champions’ openness to a loan deal.

No formal negotiations are in place yet. For now, it is a conversation, not a countdown. But the dialogue is expected to continue in the coming days as Juventus reshape their plans in midfield.

Reijnders pushed forward as Plan B

The interest in Reijnders underlines Juventus’s determination to refresh a crowded but unconvincing engine room that Luciano Spalletti wants to upgrade.

The Netherlands international, who previously impressed at Milan, joined Manchester City only last summer in a move worth around €55m. After a bright start at the Etihad, he is now reported to have slipped down the pecking order, a shift that has encouraged Juventus to test the waters.

His name has climbed quickly up the shortlist, driven by one simple reality: the Kessié deal is not done.

Kessié grows impatient

Kessié, another former Milan midfielder, has been a free agent since 30 June and has edged closer to an agreement with Juventus in recent days. The outlines are there, but not the signature.

The Ivorian is not prepared to wait forever. He has made it clear he wants his future resolved quickly, and that urgency is now feeding into Juventus’s strategy. As the club hesitates over exits and numbers, the player is watching the clock.

If Juve cannot move fast enough, they risk seeing a long-courted target slip away. Hence Reijnders. Hence the calls to Manchester.

Midfield logjam forces decisions

The biggest obstacle sits inside Juventus’s own dressing room. The squad already contains eight midfielders, a congestion that leaves little room for manoeuvre. At least one departure, and likely more, will be required before any new arrival can be completed.

Until someone goes, nobody comes.

So Juventus stand at a familiar crossroads: clear space and commit to Kessié, or pivot decisively towards Reijnders and try to prise him from City on loan.

Two former Milan midfielders, one overloaded department, and a manager demanding reinforcements. Something has to give.