Juventus is considering Darryl Bakola, an 18-year-old French and Congolese midfielder from Sassuolo, as an alternative because the club may need to sign another midfielder due to uncertainty regarding Khéphren Thuram. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is Juventus's priority, but the club is also pursuing a loan with a conditional purchase option for Bakola. To date, Sassuolo has not indicated a clear willingness to agree to a deal.
Sassuolo's reluctance is partly due to Bakola having played in all three of their first matches of the season under manager Alberto Aquilani. This would complicate finding a replacement for him at the end of the transfer window. Bakola joined Sassuolo in February 2026 and has a contract with the club until June 2030. Bakola, who has 2 caps as a France U20 international, has a current market value of €8.00m according to Transfermarkt.
