Italian league champions Juventus have increased the chase on highly-rated Ghana defender Baba Rahman.

The club have sent sporting director Fabio Paratici to Germany with a mission to speak with Augsburg about the player.

The 21-year-old has been one of the hottest topics in Germany this season as, once more, he has been key to their team's great season.

With 30 games under his belt this season - and he would have got more matches but for his two month stint with the Ghana team that placed second in the recent Afcon - Baba's stock keeps rising.

The latest report that Juventus, a team not lacking in firepower at left-back nor left-wing, comes at an interesting time because it may signal an intent to beef up toward next season. Baba's international teammate, Kwadwo Asamoah, is just coming out of injury and at full power is deployed in a similar position as the German-based defender.

But with Patrice Evra now well and truly in the twilight of his career, speculation says Massimiliano Allgeri may want fresher legs to slowly replace the 34 year old Champions League winner.

Rahman's valuation by his club, who got him for 2.5 million euros from Greuther Furth, currently stands at a minimum of 20 million euros.

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