Juventus have reportedly singled out Arsenal’s Thomas Partey as a replacement for Paul Pogba should the midfielder receive a lengthy ban for failing a drug test.
The Frenchman has been provisionally suspended and could be banned for up to four years after testing positive for testosterone.
The positive test was reported to have occurred after Juve’s Serie A fixture against Udinese on August 20, a game in which he did not play.
The maximum suspension in such cases is four years – an initial two-year ban, which can be doubled if it is proven that the substance was taken deliberately.
Reports in Italy claim Juve could cancel Pogba’s contract if he is banned and the club are already drawing up a contingency plan.
La Repubblica’s Turin edition says that Arsenal’s Thomas Partey is a name on their shortlist.
Partey was linked with a move to the Italian giants in the summer but the report adds that he will be difficult to prize away from the Gunners.
The Ghanaian is currently on the sidelines with a hamstring injury but it is hoped that he will be back in action in around a month.
He started Arsenal’s first three Premier League games though was shifted to an unfamiliar right-back position.
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