Juventus and AC Milan have begun talks over a possible swap deal involving Leonardo Bonucci and Gonzalo Higuain according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
AC Milan are keen on acquiring the services of Argentinian forward Higuain, whose future at Juve is in doubt following the high-profile signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The newspaper is reporting that the Bianconeri want to bring back former defender Bonucci as part of the deal for the £54m-rated striker, who is also wanted by Chelsea.
Italian centre-back Bonucci swapped Juventus for Milan in a shock £37m transfer last summer, going on to make 51 appearances in all competitions for the Rossoneri.
However, the 31-year-old’s agent, Alessandro Lucci, has made it clear he would be interested in a return to Turin, where he won six Serie A titles between 2010 and 2017.
New Milan general manager Leonardo and Juve CEO Beppe Marotta began discussions over the incredible swap deal involving the two players on Monday, although negotiations remain at an early stage.
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are also interested in Bonucci, who has started to consider his future due to the chaotic ownership situation at the San Siro.
Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso admitted the 31-year-old’s future was far from certain but reaffirmed his desire to keep him at the club last week.
He told reporters: ‘His future? I do not know.
‘He’s a great professional and always the first to lead the group. I hope he can stay, he is a valuable player with a great mentality.
‘When a player expresses a desire, the coach and those working in a group must do everything possible to persuade him to stay.
‘We must think about the pros and cons. If the player asks explicitly, we need to tackle the subject.’
Higuain, meanwhile, has been on Chelsea’s radar with Sarri wanting to take a closer look at during pre-season, which started earlier this week in Australia. They beat Perth Glory 1-0 on Monday.
