The Serbian player causing worry at Juventus is certainly not him, but the 32-year-old`s future is also far from decided.
“I hadn`t coached him before. He is always available, professional, has good stamina. He applies himself and knows the group well, and I like that. He is a player who can perform well in the kind of football I prefer.” Summer transfer market permitting, Filip Kostic`s future is still completely open, but in recent training sessions at Continassa before the World Cup and then in the United States, Tudor has seen a player who would certainly have a place in his Juventus side. Those words, spoken earlier, are certainly a strong endorsement.
Tudor said this on the eve of the Juve-City match, which marked the Serbian midfielder`s starting debut. This was followed by Real-Juve, where Kostic played another half hour. That`s a total of 120 minutes. Few only in appearance, but nothing compared to the 2501 minutes accumulated over 35 appearances in total during his loan spell at Fenerbahce last season.
Turkish Connections
And another call could come from Turkey this summer. Last September, José Mourinho appeared on the other end of the phone, and that transfer, although temporary, relieved Juve of the player`s salary: the approximately 3 million gross salary was entirely covered by Fenerbahce. A good saving for “The Old Lady,” who this year is also tasked with building and reinforcing a squad with sustainable costs. Kostic was bought by Juve in 2022 from Eintracht Frankfurt for 12 million payable over three financial years, plus charges, a FIFA solidarity contribution (up to 1.5 million), and another 3 million in bonuses tied to sporting results. Currently, the situation is that the Serb weighs just over 3 million on the balance sheet and has a contract expiring in 2026. This scenario requires consideration. But the positive aspect is that there is no rush to find a solution immediately; at Continassa, the priorities dominating DG Comolli`s desk are quite different, and the Serbian player occupying his thoughts is another one. Furthermore, Kostic enjoys Tudor`s esteem – who has Cambiaso on the left and potentially Weah, also capable of playing on that flank – and starting from the training camp at Continassa, he will play his best cards to perform well and not make his coach change his mind, regardless of what happens in the future.
What if He Stays in Italy?
Fenerbahce, however, is still an option, and Archie Brown`s arrival wouldn`t compromise anything. The Englishman is a full-back, while Kostic is a midfielder, although last year he also played in Mourinho`s back four, thus not neglecting the inevitable defensive duties. The graphic (if shown above) clearly indicates high activity (“fire and flames”) all over the left flank, with an average of 76 minutes per game. But the transfer market winds might not necessarily take Kostic exclusively abroad. Atalanta is also observing him carefully; for now, it`s nothing more than an inquiry, but it`s only mid-July, and “La Dea” (Atalanta) will begin preparing for next season from Monday the 14th. The time variable must always be taken into account, but note that the one who has the most time in this hypothetical three-way scenario is Mourinho: in Turkey, the summer transfer window won`t close on September 1st like in Italy, but on Friday the 12th.
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