Turin: Juventus director Beppe Marotta has confirmed Patrice Evra “is considering his future” amid reports the France defender could leave the Italian champions this month.
Evra was left out of the Juventus squad for the 3-0 victory over Bologna on Sunday, with the 35-year-old linked with Valencia and a return to Manchester United — where he spent eight years as a player — to become part of Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff by La Gazzetta dello Sport last week. He has played just 247 minutes in Serie A this season having signed a one-year contract extension last summer with the option for another year. Speaking before the match against Bologna, Marotta admitted that he is preparing for the his possible departure. “Evra is still with us. He was not called up by mutual agreement, as he is considering his future,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium. “It’s only right he’s taking a moment to reflect, as his contract will expire in June, he is 35 years old going toward 36. We’ll see next week. I don’t think we need to find a replacement, as we have internal options like Kwadwo Asamoah and Federico Mattiello.” But the player’s agent, Federico Pastorello, has insisted Evra could stay in Turin. “It’s not certain he will leave Juventus,” Pastorello told Juvenews.eu. “We’ll see what happens over the next few days.” After a series of stories in the Spanish media last week claimed Real Madrid and Barcelona have made offers for Paulo Dybala, the Argentina forward scored a penalty on his return from injury against Bologna. But Marotta denied the 23-year-old is interested in leaving Italy, with the club hoping to extend his current contract which is due to expire in 2020. “[We’ve had] no calls,” he said. “I want to point out that we have a multi-year contract with Dybala and approached his entourage a few months ago to improve his wages, which is only fair. “Our rapport is idyllic, there are no fears he could leave. Juve are one of the best teams in the world and this is a place where you arrive, not pass through. Where could he be happier?”
