Zahavi had been expected in Italy for several weeks, primarily to discuss Robert Lewandowski — the 38-year-old Barcelona centre-forward whose future has attracted cautious interest from both AC Milan and Juventus. Neither club moved to concrete action during the talks. Juventus found the overall cost of the operation excessive at this stage, particularly given the unresolved situation around striker Dušan Vlahović.
AC Milan, for their part, remain internally divided — with manager Massimiliano Allegri enthusiastic but club leadership reluctant to add further high-cost, high-age players to a squad they are already looking to reshape.
The more productive conversation in Turin concerned Alaba. According to Tuttosport, the first contact between Zahavi and Juventus was described as very positive and the two parties are expected to meet again in the coming weeks.
Alaba has made just 14 appearances for Real Madrid this season after three years disrupted by a serious knee injury that required two separate surgeries. His physical durability is therefore the central question for any interested club. The quality is not in doubt — the 33-year-old Austrian is capable of operating as a left-sided centre-back, left-back or midfielder, a level of positional versatility described internally at Juventus as genuinely rare in European football.
The financial obstacle is significant. Alaba earns approximately €10 million net per season at the Bernabéu — more than Juventus would be able to guarantee. A substantial wage reduction would be required for a deal to work. If Alaba accepts those terms, Juventus would be acquiring experience, winning mentality and technical quality at no transfer cost.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed on Wednesday that interest from Italy, Saudi Arabia and MLS has all been registered, with multiple clubs exploring the viability of an approach.