A year after the deal with Inter fell through, Lazar Samardzic is back in the transfer spotlight and being linked with a move to Juventus. The summer of 2023 saw the Serbian-German midfielder’s move to Inter collapse at the last moment, with signed contracts ready but never finalized. The fallout included a public dispute between his father-agent Mladen Samardzic and agent Rafaela Pimenta.
Calciomercato report that a year later, Juventus has shown interest in the Udinese midfielder. Despite a season less impactful than the previous one, Samardzic’s performance numbers remain solid with 33 appearances and 6 goals in 2023-24 compared to 39 appearances and 5 goals in 2022-23.
Alternative to Koopmeiners
Cristiano Giuntoli, who has long admired Samardzic and previously sought to sign him during his tenure at Napoli, has maintained contact over the past year, with discussions resuming in recent days. For Juventus, Samardzic is currently considered an alternative to their primary target, Teun Koopmeiners. The Atalanta midfielder is highly valued at 60 million euros, and his market value has surged following Atalanta’s Europa League victory, drawing increased interest from Premier League clubs.
According to Sportmediaset, Samardzic has re-emerged as a key target for Juventus. The costs associated with signing the Udinese player are significantly lower than those for Koopmeiners, making Samardzic a more feasible option. Giuntoli has thus reopened communication channels with Samardzic’s father-agent.
Samardzic, whose contract with Udinese expires on June 30, 2026, is valued at €25 million by the Bianconeri.
