Juventus are willing to offer Zinedine Zidane a £7million deal to lure their former player back to take charge at the end of the season.
Club president Andrea Agnelli has retained a close relationship with current Real Madrid boss Zidane, who famously represented the Turin giants between 1996 and 2001.
And with both Juventus and Real remaining on amicable terms, Zidane is considering switching to the Serie A club – who would not be required to pay a fee to free the Frenchman from his contract, which is set to expire in June 2022.
Zidane and Real chief Florentino Perez are believed to hold a mutual respect for each other, but will likely part ways this summer amid rumblings of discontent from senior players at the Bernabeu.
The former attacking midfielder is understood to remain on good terms with Agnelli and Juventus, often returns to Piedmont for holidays and has even hired a personal driver for when he returns to the area.
The club icon believes that Juventus would be able to lure the world’s best players to Turin under his stewardship – and may also prove an attractive proposition for potential sponsors.
Cristiano Ronaldo would likely welcome Zidane’s arrival with open arms. The pair have long since held a sincere and frank relationship, with the Portuguese superstar having helped Zidane to three consecutive Champions League trophies during their spell together in Spain.
Juventus may table a three-year contract worth £7million, which remains the maximum amount stipulated by the club’s corporate policy regarding a manager’s salary.
The Juventus faithful would enthusiastically accept Zidane’s return to the club, and consider the tactician a major step towards their ambition of finally winn ing the Champions League.
Many of the club’s directors are thought to hold Zidane in the highest regard and view him as the ideal candidate to guide Juventus back to glory.
At the end of the campaign, Massimiliano Allegri may find himself moving in the opposite direction to take charge of the LaLiga title challengers.
The 52-year-old remains under contract at Juventus but was axed the last term, and could move to Madrid after his terms expire.
Allegri is believed to have turned down a proposal from Real two years ago due to his respect for Juventus and Agnelli. Current Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri has been placed under increasing scrutiny, and was even touted to face the sack had his side lost against title rivals Inter Milan earlier this month.
That clash was postponed due to Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, but the ex-Chelsea coach will still be expected to steer Juventus into the Champions League quarter-finals despite suffering a last-16 first-leg defeat at Lyon.
Sarri launched an extraordinary attack on his team after they slumped to the loss, with pressure mounting on the club to bring an end to their 24-year wait to lift the coveted trophy.
The irate tactician said after the setback: ‘I cannot get the players to understand the importance of moving the ball quickly.
‘It’s difficult to explain why, but our first half moved the ball too slowly, with no movement, so naturally, the opposition was going to press, win the ball back and even score.’
But Zidane is also at risk of losing his job, with Real reportedly having identified Mauricio Pochettino as a potential successor.
The former Tottenham manager is expected to return to work during the off-season after his sacking in north London.
According to The Independent, Real have asked to be kept aware of Pochettino’s intentions regarding his next job.
Zidane’s second tenure at another of his former teams marks a stark contrast to his first spell, in which he won three consecutive Champions League crowns, the league title and two FIFA Club World Cups.