Juventus have made their move in the Brahim Díaz pursuit — and now they must simply wait. After weeks of sounding out the Moroccan playmaker’s situation, Spalletti and Carnevali have pressed the clock and are bracing themselves for a period of patience while Real Madrid decide his fate. There are no shortcuts in this operation. But Juventus have chosen to see it through to the end before turning to more straightforward alternatives.
The Timeline: Everything Depends on Mourinho
The deadline for clarity on the Díaz situation will arrive in the final weeks of July, when the player — having completed his World Cup campaign with Morocco — returns to Valdebebas for Real Madrid’s pre-season assembly. There, a summit with José Mourinho will determine everything.
Díaz himself is hoping Mourinho confirms he has a genuine role to play next season. The arrival of Bernardo Silva at Real Madrid — who pipped both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona to sign the Portuguese midfielder — will add considerable competition in the areas where Díaz operates. Nico Paz, meanwhile, will remain at Como for another season to acclimatise to Champions League football, so that particular crowding of the trequarti is at least one problem Real do not face. Even so, with this level of competition for places, finding regular minutes at the Bernabéu will be extremely difficult for Díaz.
Real Will Only Sanction a Loan — and Juventus Must Accept That
Here lies the fundamental constraint of the entire operation. Real Madrid have no intention of selling Díaz permanently. The only route available to Juventus is a straight loan with no purchase option — and given the club’s already tight financial margins, there is little room to be selective about the terms. If Real say yes, it will be on their conditions. Spalletti, for his part, is willing to accept that reality. His admiration for Díaz is genuine and deeply held.
The manager has spoken repeatedly about his need for a player capable of navigating what he memorably described as “the swamp of the number ten position” — a zone requiring the intelligence, creativity, and technical assurance to operate in tight spaces and unlock deep-set defences. In Díaz, he sees exactly that profile. Those who worked with the Moroccan at AC Milan have told Spalletti he can be entirely relaxed about his character and application: he trains at the highest intensity, carries real personality, and handles a place on the bench without complaint. He was, notably, one of the few Real Madrid players entirely untouched by the hostility of the club’s notoriously demanding fan base throughout a difficult recent period.
The Fallback: Gudmundsson Waits in the Wings
Should Mourinho give Díaz the green light to stay, Juventus will be forced to turn elsewhere. One option that has not been dismissed is Albert Gudmundsson, who is available from Fiorentina — a club actively looking to reduce their wage bill this summer. The Icelandic forward has been offered around to a number of Italian clubs in recent weeks, with a fee of approximately €15 million understood to be sufficient to complete a deal. Spalletti, however, has not yet given his blessing to that option — he would like greater clarity before committing, and the Díaz pursuit remains live for now.
The endgame, as Tuttosport notes, will become clear at the end of July. Until then, Juventus wait — chess clock ticking — for Real Madrid’s next move.
