Juventus and Napoli set to go head to head for Real Sociedad defender Robin Le Normand

Juventus and Napoli are gearing up for a transfer tug-of-war over Real Sociedad defender Robin Le Normand, according to Calciomercato.

The 26-year-old enjoyed a massively impressive campaign with Sociedad last season, helping Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea’s side claim a Champions League spot after finishing fourth in La Liga.

Le Normand played a prominent role in the heart of the Sociedad defence that kept 15 clean sheets while boasting the third-best defensive record in the league after conceding just 35 goals.

His impressive performances have not gone under the radar. He has attracted interest from Serie A duo Juventus and Napoli, who are poised to go head to head in the race to capture his signature.

Sociedad are aware of the growing interest in the defender who has been capped twice by the Spanish national team. Premier League clubs are also monitoring his development.

However, the player has three years left on his contract with the Basque club, so they are under no immediate pressure to part ways with the Spaniard.

Le Normand also has a €40 million termination clause in his contract, and Sociedad are unwilling to budge on their transfer stance.

Whichever club wants to snap up the defender this summer would have to trigger the clause.

Despite winning the Scudetto last season, Napoli could struggle to fork out that amount of money for the defender. 

They may be forced to look elsewhere as they continue the search for a long-term replacement for Kim Min-Jae, who is on the cusp of joining German champions Bayern Munich.

The same can be said for Juventus, who are in a pickle with their economic situation and must raise funds through player sales this summer before recruiting players.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri wants to bolster his defensive options ahead of next season amid reports linking Gleison Bremer with a summer departure just one year after joining from Torino.