Giorgio Chiellini has one year left in his deal with Juventus, but announced he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the current season. LAFC is trying to tempt the European champion and made an offer to sign him.
LAFC didn’t offer Chiellini a designated player contract, so the maximum salary the club could pay him in his first year wouldn’t be more than $1.65 million. Chiellini spent 17 years with Juventus at the senior level, winning nine Serie A titles and five Cups while also playing two Champions League finals. He featured in more than 550 games for Juve. At the international level, he won the European Championship with Italy in 2021, being capped 116 times since he made his debut in 2004. He’ll retire from the national team in June when Italy meets Argentina at Wembley.
Alongside Italy and Juventus teammate Leonardo Bonucci, Chiellini is the most prominent Italian defender of his generation.
MLS sources claim the Vancouver Whitecaps are also after Chiellini. If they are to sign him, the Whitecaps would need to acquire Chiellini’s MLS discovery rights from LAFC. The club from Vancouver currently sits bottom of the Western Conference, with just two wins and a draw in nine matches. The Whitecaps are on equal points with the Seattle Sounders, but their goal difference is worse. Meanwhile, LAFC leads the West with a 7-2-1 record.
Chiellini: ‘I won’t be here next year’
Speaking to the media after Juve’s 4-2 defeat against Inter in the Italian Cup final, Chiellini revealed he’s on his way out.
“I give way to the youngsters, as next year I will not be here,” he said. “On Monday I will say goodbye to my stadium, and Fiorentina will be my last match. I say goodbye with joy to this team, of which I will be the biggest fan because Juve will always stay with me.”
Chiellini added that he had “these 10 magnificent years” with the club, but says it’s now time for others to continue on. “I did everything I could, I hope that I left something. It is my choice 100%. I am happy to leave at such a high level because for many years I have said I didn’t want to finish struggling and not being able to play at my level,” Chiellini added.