Juventus are reportedly planning to hold talks with Real Madrid over a possible move for right-back Alvaro Odriozola.
The 26-year-old has been frozen out of the Blancos team under Carlo Ancelotti and has not made a single appearance for the Spanish and European champions this term.
Odriozola has been an unused substitute in Real's last nine La Liga matches, as well as appearing on the bench in five successive Champions League games in 2022-23.
The Spain international is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2024, but his path into the first team is currently blocked by Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez, while Nacho Fernandez can also fill in on the right-hand side.
As a result, Odriozola seemingly does not have a future at Real Madrid, and according to Calciomercato, Juventus are aiming to tempt the defender back to Italy.
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Odriozola was sent out on loan to Fiorentina for the 2021-22 season, during which he scored one goal and set up one more in 27 matches after becoming a regular for La Viola.
The defender's efforts helped Fiorentina seal a place in the Europa Conference League, as he started 18 Serie A matches before returning to his parent club.
The report claims that Juventus have already held positive discussions with Odriozola's entourage, and the Old Lady are now preparing to enter concrete discussions with Real Madrid.
However, the two clubs remain apart in their ideas of a suitable deal, as Juve want to conclude a loan with an option to buy, while Real are determined to offload Odriozola permanently.
The two parties will continue talks in the hope of thrashing out an agreement in the coming weeks, and Juve are unlikely to give up the ghost, with Odriozola seen as a key target of Massimiliano Allegri's.
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After bursting onto the scene at Real Sociedad, Odriozola earned a €32m (£28.1m) move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, but his Bernabeu career has never quite taken off.
The Spaniard has recorded three goals and 10 assists in 43 appearances for the club, but his last appearance in Real Madrid colours came all the way back in May 2021.
Odriozola was loaned out to Bayern Munich for the second half of the 2019-20 campaign, but he only made five appearances for the German champions during that ill-fated spell.
Despite his lack of action, Odriozola can still boast to have won six trophies in his career, scooping the Champions League, Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal with Bayern.
Meanwhile, he has collected one La Liga title, one Supercopa de Espana and one Club World Cup with Real Madrid over the past four years.
Ben Knapton
