With one year remaining on his contract at Lazio, Mario Gila is expected to leave the club this summer, and Napoli has already been negotiating a move for the defender. However, Lazio Siamonoi reports that Juventus are now attempting to hijack the transfer.
The Spaniard joined Lazio from Real Madrid in 2022 and has since developed into one of the strongest defenders in Serie A. Despite his progress at the club, the report states that he does not want to continue his career in Rome and is seeking a new challenge elsewhere.
Lazio have reportedly made several attempts to convince him to sign a new contract, but those efforts have not been successful, increasing expectations that he will leave before the transfer window closes.
Napoli Leading The Race For Gila
Napoli have so far been regarded as the club closest to completing a deal for the defender and have already held advanced discussions aimed at finalising the transfer in the coming weeks.
However, as long as the agreement has not officially been completed, Juventus believe there is still an opportunity to intervene and change the direction of the negotiations.
The Bianconeri reportedly view Gila as a player capable of strengthening their defensive options ahead of the new campaign, and they have already opened discussions with the defender’s representatives regarding a possible move to Turin.
Juventus are continuing to monitor the situation closely as they assess whether it can compete financially and sportingly with Napoli for the player’s signature.
Juventus Hope To Convince Defender
The report added that Gila is eager to leave Lazio to join a bigger club and continue his development at a higher level.
Juventus are hopeful that the opportunity to work with Luciano Spalletti could help persuade the defender to choose them over Napoli.
Despite Napoli’s advantage in negotiations at this stage, Juventus remain determined to stay involved in the race and could still attempt to accelerate talks before a final agreement is reached.