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Juventus target Villarreal's Pau Navarro in €15-20m defensive raid

·By Paul Lindisfarne
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Juventus target Villarreal's Pau Navarro in €15-20m defensive raid

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Juventus are monitoring Villarreal centre-back Pau Navarro as the Turin club seek to rebuild their defensive unit following their failure to qualify for the Champions League, with a bid in the region of €15-20m understood to be under consideration.

TransferFeed reports that the 21-year-old has drawn serious interest from Juventus head coach Luciano Spalletti, who identified central defence as a priority position after an inconsistent season at the back.

Navarro, contracted at Villarreal until June 2030, emerged as one of La Liga's more assured young defenders last season and aligns with Juventus's current policy of targeting financially accessible profiles under 23.

Villarreal begin a new chapter under recently appointed head coach Iñigo Pérez, who specifically cited the quality of the existing squad — including Navarro — in his opening press conference. Losing a key defensive prospect during Pérez's first summer would represent an uncomfortable start to the new era.

Juventus's Champions League absence will complicate recruitment. Several targets will require persuasion to forgo European football, and €15-20m may not be sufficient if Villarreal are not motivated to sell. The club's stated position is that they expect Navarro to remain part of the squad, though no formal contract extension is currently in place.