The pair looked to be heading for free agency this summer but Goal can confirm extension talks have long been in the works
Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon are set to sign new deals with Juventus, sources close to the club have revealed , with the Italian veterans having been heading towards the end of their current contracts at the end of June.
It is understood that proposals to keep the long-serving pair at the Juventus Stadium have been in the works for quite some time and would already have been completed had the coronavirus pandemic not called a halt to sport the world over.
Buffon, who has spent the majority of his career with the Old Lady after signing from Parma in 2001, returned to the club after a solitary season with Paris Saint-Germain and fully accepts that he will be playing back-up to Wojciech Szczesny despite being a club icon.
With the renewal, it is only a matter of time before Buffon becomes the record holder for most Serie A appearances, with the 42-year-old currently sitting neck and neck with legendary defender Paolo Maldini on 647.
Chiellini putting pen to paper on an extension will please both the 35-year-old and the fans, with the centre-back having missed a huge chunk of the season after rupturing his cruciate ligament in August of last year.
The player will be fully recovered by the time football restarts, representing a huge boost for Maurizio Sarri, who already has the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral in his squad to provide competition for his first-choice defender.
Indeed, Chiellini’s skills as a captain have not gone unnoticed by the club, who counted on the centre-back to convince the squad into taking a pay cut during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In fact, it has been suggested that the defender, who has an honours degree in business administration, will remain at the club in some capacity when he does eventually hang up his boots.
In other transfer-related news, Juve are hoping to sell Douglas Costa and Federico Bernardeschi as they weigh up a move for Valencia star Ferran Torres . It is understood that the club are keen to improve their wide options and see the young Spaniard as a perfect fit with plenty of re-sale value.
Bernardeschi could also be used by Juve in part exchange for their summer transfer business, with Barcelona, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid having previously been linked with the winger.
However, while there is plenty of interest in Bernardeschi, Juve have yet to receive any formal offers, with the situation expected to become clearer in the coming weeks.
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