One season with AC Milan was enough for Leonardo Bonucci to want a change of scenery. The 31-year-old defender has handed a transfer request on Thursday and expressed a desire to return to Juventus. The news was confirmed by both clubs.
“I’ve met Juve’s bosses because Bonucci has put in a transfer request, so we’ll have to see if the negotiations go through,” – said Milan’s newly appointed technical director Leonardo. “It’s all down to a very considered idea he has about what he wants to do, and that started talks about whether it would be possible or not.“
After playing seven years for Juventus, Leonardo Bonucci made a surprising switch to Milan in the summer of 2017. The transfer was worth around $50 million, and Bonucci signed a five-year deal that pays him $9 million yearly. It looks like he didn’t have the best of times and now regrets his decision.
“Certainly I have understood from the management of Milan that the desire and feeling of Bonucci is that he wants to return to the club where he played many years,” – Juventus’ director Beppe Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. “At the moment, our defense is full, so if nobody leaves, Leo cannot return. On the other hand, there is great reciprocal respect with Leo, but I don’t want to go any further than this because, as I can only repeat, we are currently fine in that area.“
According to several reports, the two teams are working on a swap which would send Bonucci to Juve and youngster Mattia Caldara to Milan.
Leonardo Bonucci started his professional career with Inter Milan, but never got a chance in the first team and spent a majority of the time there on loans in lower tiers of the Italian football In 2009 he signed with Bari, and had an impressive campaign in Seria A which brought him a transfer to Juventus in 2010. During his time with Juve, Bonucci won six Seria A titles and three Coppa Italia trophies.
