Report: Juventus to include Dybala in deal for United's Lukaku

Juventus have joined the race to sign Romelu Lukaku.

The Bianconeri will look to hijack Inter’s attempt to sign the Belgian forward by offering Paulo Dybala to Manchester United as part of a bid to acquire Lukaku, according to ESPN FC’s Andrew Cesare Richardson.

It’s understood that Juventus are eager to complete at least one more big signing this summer.

But there are several obstacles in Juve’s way, as Richardson suggests it’s not clear if Dybala, who has also been linked with a transfer to Tottenham, would be in favor of joining United.

The Argentine might not get much of a choice, though, considering that playing time may be sparse due to Juventus’ plethora of talent.

After the 2017-18 campaign in which he scored 22 goals in 33 league appearances, Dybala’s production plunged last season when he found the back of the net just five times in 31 Serie A matches.

The other stumbling block for Juve is that Lukaku is reportedly in favor of joining Inter and working with manager Antonio Conte.

Conte recently expressed his admiration for Lukaku, saying that he can be “an important player” for an Inter side that’s attempting to reestablish itself as one of Europe’s top clubs.

Thus far, Inter have failed in their bid to sign the former Chelsea and Everton striker after the Red Devils rejected a €70-million offer, which was reportedly €13.5 million short of United’s valuation. The offer was to be paid over two years, as Inter wanted to take Lukaku on an initial loan followed by an obligatory permanent transfer.

Although Lukaku – who arrived at Old Trafford from Everton for a reported £75-million fee in 2017 – traveled with United during their summer tour, he didn’t play in any of the team’s matches because of an injury.

Lukaku is believed to be under the impression that he’ll miss out on regular playing time at United to Marcus Rashford. He appeared to add fuel to speculation about a potential move away from United on Saturday when he posted a photo of himself with his agent, with a cryptic message above:

News of Juve’s interest comes less than a week after the club completed a €75-million deal to procure the services of Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax.

That lucrative signing, however, hasn’t stopped Juventus from attempting to bolster their squad in a bid to win the Serie A title for a ninth straight season, and the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years.