Barcelona confident of trumping Chelsea, Man City to Serie A defender

Barcelona are reportedly planning to beat both Chelsea and Manchester City to the signature of Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci this summer.

The Italy international is regarded as one of the best central defenders in world football, and his presence has been key to Juventus' impressive run in the Serie A and Europe over the past few seasons.

The 29-year-old has previously admitted that he is getting a grasp of the English language, and this has increased speculation over a possible Premier League move.

However, TalkSPORT claims that Bonucci could find himself in the La Liga next season with Barcelona prepared to splash the cash on his services.

Barcelona are currently short in the central defensive department, and they are on the search for a new defender with Javier Mascherano approaching the final years of his career.

Bonucci had only extended his contract until June 2021 earlier in the season, and this puts Juventus in a position to demand a £50m plus fee if they are to offload their asset in the summer.