Juventus to replace Bonucci with Howedes

Benedikt Howedes has landed in Turin to complete a medical before signing for Juventus on a season-long loan. The 29-year-old defender has been targeted by the Italian giants to reinforce a back-line that has lost Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan this summer.


Juventus will reportedly pay Schalke a €3 million loan fee for a season-long deal and have an option to buy, said to be worth €11.5m.

Moroccan centre-back Medhi Benatia, who spent last season on loan at the club, is the only central defensive signing Juventus have made so far this summer following a permanent move from Bayern Munich.
Howedes made 31 league appearances for Schalke last term as the club finished 10th in the Bundesliga.

But this summer, Schalke boss Domenico Tedesco gave Howedes’s captain’s armband to goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann for the 2017/18 season. Howedes said at the time: “The day before yesterday the coach informed me that he not only wants to change things up in terms of our training and tactics, but also in terms of the captaincy of the team. Although I don’t agree with the decision, I must accept it.

The centre-back recorded a 38 per cent tackle success rate but was more impressive in the air, winning 61 per cent of his headed duels, and made 128 interceptions. In front goal last season, he scored once and assisted another in league action. On the international scene, Howedes has won 44 caps for Germany and was part of Joachim Low’s 2014 World Cup winning squad.