Napoli are not prepared to let their star player Gonzalo Higuain go to Serie A rivals Juventus, despite reports suggesting that the Argentine wants a move to Turin, according to the Spanish and the Italia media.
Various reports in the media suggest that officials from Juventus and Napoli are set to meet this week, after a Serie A General Assembly, in order to hammer out a deal over Higuain.
According to a report in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Higuain is desperate for a move to Juventus, who are looking for a viable replacement for Alvaro Morata. However, the report also states that the Napoli fans are incensed at the thought of their best player joining direct Serie A rivals, and have taken to the streets to protest this move.
Napoli won the match 4-0. / AFP / CARLO HERMANN (Photo credit should read CARLO HERMANN/AFP/Getty Images)
Having lost Morata to Real Madrid due to a €30 million buy-back clause in his contract, Juventus have now set their sights on Higuain, and are itching to land the signing of Serie A’s top goalscorer from last season. The Bianconeri have been trying to entice Napoli to sell Higuain by offering them player plus cash deals, with the likes of Simone Zaza, Roberto Pereyra, and Rolando Mandragora going the other way.
Napoli chairman Edo De Laurentiis though, has heeded this call by the Napoli fans, and reportedly does not want to sell Higuain to Juventus at any cost. However, the situation will be completely out of De Laurentiis’ hands, if Juventus were to match Higuain’s release clause — €94.7 million. According to a report in Spanish newspaper AS, Juventus will meet the release clause, if they are unable to hammer out a deal with Napoli.
While Napoli are not willing to sell to Juventus, they are willing to listen to offers from abroad. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Higuain over the course of the summer. The North London outfit are even said to have tabled a massive €60 million plus Olivier Giroud offer for Higuain, in a player-plus-cash deal. However, the AS report suggests that De Laurentiis is not impressed by this offer, and the Gunners need to shell out more cash, if they want to sign El Papita.
Higuain was a sensation last season, scoring 36 goals in 35 Serie A appearances for Napoli. However, his brilliant performances were not enough to win the Serie A title for the Partenopei, as Juventus swept away their fifth straight Scudetto title in as many years. It seems logical for the Napoli star to join Juventus, where he stands more chance of winning titles.
However, there are some doubts hanging over Higuain’s mentality, as he tends to go missing in the big matches. The most famous criticism he has received recently is that he has failed to score in three successive major international finals (2014 World Cup, and the 2015 & 2016 Copa Americas), as Argentina ended as runners-up in all the three tournaments.
Napoli are not prepared to let their star player Gonzalo Higuain go to Serie A rivals Juventus, despite reports suggesting that the Argentine wants a move to Turin, according to the Spanish and the Italia media.
Various reports in the media suggest that officials from Juventus and Napoli are set to meet this week, after a Serie A General Assembly, in order to hammer out a deal over Higuain.
According to a report in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Higuain is desperate for a move to Juventus, who are looking for a viable replacement for Alvaro Morata. However, the report also states that the Napoli fans are incensed at the thought of their best player joining direct Serie A rivals, and have taken to the streets to protest this move.
Napoli won the match 4-0. / AFP / CARLO HERMANN (Photo credit should read CARLO HERMANN/AFP/Getty Images)
Having lost Morata to Real Madrid due to a €30 million buy-back clause in his contract, Juventus have now set their sights on Higuain, and are itching to land the signing of Serie A’s top goalscorer from last season. The Bianconeri have been trying to entice Napoli to sell Higuain by offering them player plus cash deals, with the likes of Simone Zaza, Roberto Pereyra, and Rolando Mandragora going the other way.
Napoli chairman Edo De Laurentiis though, has heeded this call by the Napoli fans, and reportedly does not want to sell Higuain to Juventus at any cost. However, the situation will be completely out of De Laurentiis’ hands, if Juventus were to match Higuain’s release clause — €94.7 million. According to a report in Spanish newspaper AS, Juventus will meet the release clause, if they are unable to hammer out a deal with Napoli.
While Napoli are not willing to sell to Juventus, they are willing to listen to offers from abroad. Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for Higuain over the course of the summer. The North London outfit are even said to have tabled a massive €60 million plus Olivier Giroud offer for Higuain, in a player-plus-cash deal. However, the AS report suggests that De Laurentiis is not impressed by this offer, and the Gunners need to shell out more cash, if they want to sign El Papita.
Higuain was a sensation last season, scoring 36 goals in 35 Serie A appearances for Napoli. However, his brilliant performances were not enough to win the Serie A title for the Partenopei, as Juventus swept away their fifth straight Scudetto title in as many years. It seems logical for the Napoli star to join Juventus, where he stands more chance of winning titles.
However, there are some doubts hanging over Higuain’s mentality, as he tends to go missing in the big matches. The most famous criticism he has received recently is that he has failed to score in three successive major international finals (2014 World Cup, and the 2015 & 2016 Copa Americas), as Argentina ended as runners-up in all the three tournaments.