Gonzalo Higuaín

http://www.football-italia.net/88232/juve-present-higuain-july-28

With the €94.7m Napoli release clause, Juventus are about to make Gonzalo Higuain the second biggest transfer in history.

Multiple reports today stated that Higuain underwent a medical in Madrid on Friday and Juve have alerted Napoli to the imminent activation of the release clause in his contract.

Pipita is also believed to have signed a four-year contract worth €7.5m per season plus bonuses and the return of his image rights.

This will make Higuain the biggest ever signing for a Serie A club, the most expensive Juventus player of all time and the second costliest transfer in history.

He is currently second only to Gareth Bale, who joined Real Madrid for €100m in the summer of 2013.

Real Madrid again paid €94m to take Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United in July 2009, while Barcelona got Neymar from Santos for €86m in 2013 (although some consider this as high as €105m depending on bonuses).

Higuain will be by far the most expensive transfer in Juventus history, as their previous top expenditure was €53m for Gianluigi Buffon from Parma in 2001.

The most expensive buy in Serie A was Hernan Crespo, as Lazio spent €55m to bring him in from Parma in 2000.

Naturally, this could be dwarfed by Paul Pogba if Juve sell him to Manchester United or Real Madrid for €120m.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Juve present Higuain on July 28?

http://www.football-italia.net/88234/napoli-consider-tevez-bid

According to the latest reports, Gonzalo Higuain will join his new Juventus teammates on Thursday after his €94.7m move from Napoli.

Multiple sources are confident not only will the club activate his release clause, but also that he has already passed a medical in Madrid.

Pipita had been due to arrive for pre-season training with Napoli at their Dimaro retreat on Monday.

Instead, Sportitalia report he will be in Turin to meet his new teammates on Thursday or at most 24 hours after that.

Juve are still on their summer tour and will play in Hong Kong on July 30.

Higuain would therefore join in with the other players with extended vacation time after Euro 2016 and the Copa America.

It’s possible he could make his debut for Juve against West Ham United in London on August 7.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Napoli consider Tevez bid?

http://www.football-italia.net/88248/napoli-fans-higuain-betrayed-us

Napoli are considering alternatives to Gonzalo Higuain ahead of his Juventus transfer, including Carlos Tevez.

Multiple sources are confident Higuain has already passed a medical in Madrid yesterday and Juve will activate the €94.7m release clause in his contract.

This leaves the Partenopei needing a replacement and so far they’ve seen approaches for Mauro Icardi and Carlos Bacca rejected.

According to Sportitalia pundit Alfredo Pedullà, another candidate is ex-Juventus hitman Tevez.

He wants a move back to Europe after problems with his beloved Boca Juniors and Inter were already tipped for an offer this morning.

Tevez would likely be an extra option rather than the specific replacement for Higuain, but could certainly bring determination and hard work to the side.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Napoli fans: 'Higuain betrayed us'

http://www.football-italia.net/88251/maradona-higuain-juve-hurts

Napoli fans are protesting after Gonzalo Higuain agreed a €94.7m transfer to Juventus, accusing him of “betrayal.”

Multiple sources confirm the player underwent a secret medical in Madrid yesterday, in the presence of Juve directors Fabio Paratici and Beppe Marotta.

The Bianconeri are prepared to pay the full €94.7m release clause in his contract if Napoli refuse to negotiate a sale.

Fans have reacted angrily against ‘Pipita’, who last season shattered Serie A records stretching back to the 1960s with 36 goals in 35 games.

They gathered in Naples city centre to tear up pictures of the player and set fire to his jersey, while others shared images on social media of his Napoli shirt stuffed down the toilet.

“We are furious,” protestor Enzo D’Aniello told Ansa news agency.

“This not the way to behave. Higuain was more than a player for us, he was a symbol and betrayed us without thinking twice. He proved what he’s really made of.

“Diego Maradona would never have done it.”

There were also numerous insulting banners in the stands of this evening’s friendly match between Napoli and Trento.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis was set to attend at the Dimaro training camp, but pulled out.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Maradona: 'Higuain to Juve hurts'

http://www.football-italia.net/88256/higuain-juve-offer-napoli-options

Diego Armando Maradona admits Napoli fans are “hurting” after Gonzalo Higuain chose “direct rival Juventus. This did not happen in my time.”

The news emerged today that Higuain had undergone a secret medical in Madrid, accompanied by Juve directors Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici.

The Bianconeri are prepared to pay the full €94.7m release clause in Pipita’s contract.

“This Higuain affair is hurting me because he is going to a direct rival like Juventus, but we cannot blame the player either,” wrote Maradona on his official Facebook page.

“A player has a responsibility to himself and it is those fat cats of business that are grinning the most in this case. Nobody thinks of the fan.

“I'm tired of saying that today it seems to be more important to be a good businessman than a good president. This did not happen in my time.

“Too bad that FIFA continues to sleep.”

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Higuain: Juve offer Napoli options

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2916967/gonzalo-higuain-

Juventus have told Napoli they’ll pay €94.7m for Gonzalo Higuain, but are open to negotiations for Simone Zaza, Daniele Rugani, Roberto Pereyra and Stefano Sturaro.

The striker has already passed a secret medical taken in Madrid on Friday afternoon, where he also agreed a €7.5m per year contract with directors Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici.

According to Sky Sport Italia, on Saturday evening Marotta called Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis to inform him that Juventus were prepared to pay the €94.7m release clause.

However, they are open to negotiations, offering one or all of the following players as part of the deal: striker Zaza, defender Rugani, midfielders Pereyra and Sturaro.

These are all players who are known to be of interest to Napoli and indeed they had been in advanced talks with Pereyra before the Higuain approach ground things to a halt.

It now remains to be seen whether Napoli will agree to do business with arch rivals Juventus or force them to shatter the Serie A transfer record and hand over a cash sum.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Higuain move proof that Juventus' 'giant' reputation has been restored

move-proof-that-juventus-giant-reputation-has-been-restored

http://www.football-italia.net/88260/napoli-eye-gabigol-bid

If Juventus activate Gonzalo Higuain's €94.7 million release clause, they will be making the second-most expensive purchase in football history. Only Real Madrid paid more for Gareth Bale. Yet while Juve fans marvel at the financial muscle of their beloved club, they cannot help but be anxious. Is he worth it?

The short answer is no. Does that matter? Juventus are not splashing the cash to buy a player thought to be the missing link in an otherwise perfect squad. No, the purchase of Higuain is a strategic move designed by the club to achieve prominence, to win back the world's curiosity. Juventus want to be taken seriously, and here is the money to prove it.

When the Bianconeri returned to Serie A after their demotion, they spoke of a project, a burning desire to return to winning ways. While trophies were and remain their main objective, the re-establishment of their reputation as a European giant of football was a key priority. The Calciopoli scandal suffered in 2006 had stripped the club of its pride.

They watched their archrivals, Inter, win the treble as they collapsed into obscurity. Juventus finished seventh two seasons in a row, and players rejected moves to Turin while Juve struggled to keep their best from leaving for better clubs. They longed to be feared again, to play in the Champions League and be deemed a favourite and not the underdog.

Like a wounded lion, Juventus accepted their fate and with the help of Antonio Conte, they faced reality and built for a brighter future. By making clever moves on the market, success came quickly and under Massimiliano Allegri, their plans are coming to fruition. The trophies have arrived but while the potential sale of Paul Pogba was thought to render them a selling club, the purchase of Higuain will secure their reputation as high rollers.

The icing on the cake? They don't need to sell Pogba. They can have both. Juventus are back and happy to fight it out with the best and wealthiest and they're keen for the fans to know it.

While the Old Lady have certainly earned a brow lift or two, one cannot help but wonder if the club are better off taming the ego and staying loyal to their philosophy. Juventus do not buy the best players, they create them.

A side renowned for plucking the brightest potentials only to turn them into legends worthy of the world's attention, Juventus are a rare breed of a big club. It is one that challenges for honours yet still has the patience and time to develop its players in a serene atmosphere. Is it any wonder why Kingsley Coman, Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba sought moves to Turin? Like Zinedine Zidane before them, they want a chance to progress while simultaneously collecting trophies.

Yet while Higuain's potential arrival will signal their intent on a global scale, it's also important to note that Juventus have never hidden their admiration for the player. A star who will ensure goals and a winning mentality, Higuain is not the finest striker but he has proved himself in two different European leagues, the latter being one of the hardest to score in.

At 28, the Argentine is at his peak. Experienced enough to understand the game but still young enough to keep improving. Quick, skilful and perfect for Juve's style of play, Higuain has improved during his time in Italy even if he's still capable of a missing a sitter or two.

In Maurizio Sarri, the striker found a coach who implored him to fulfil his potential and provided the right conditions to achieve optimum results. Each player in Napoli's forward line worked for one another. The tactically intelligent Jose Callejon stretched defences, Higuain made impressive runs to create space while Lorenzo Insigne exploited those gaps to provide the coveted through balls. All together, they proved a sensation, allowing the Argentine to break a 66-year-old Italian record and score 36 goals.

Demanding an already efficient player be more proficient, Sarri urged Higuain to move more intelligently and make runs to the near post to convert the crosses that came in. The aim was to teach the player to always be at the right place at the right time to convert goal scoring opportunities. With Alex Sandro and Dani Alves on the wings and the likes of Paulo Dybala behind him, Higuain won't struggle for service at Juve.

"The contract will be respected. He'll only go if a madman offers the buy-out clause," the fiery Aurelio De Laurentiis once noted.

Here is hoping the mad men of Juventus will not rue this very demonstration of power. After all, if Juventus do indeed win the Champions League, €94.7 million will seem like a bargain.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Napoli eye up Gabigol bid

http://www.football-italia.net/88266/higuain-cost-juventus-€90m

With Gonzalo Higuain heading to Juventus, Napoli are considering a bid for another Bianconeri target: Gabigol.

It emerged that Higuain has already undergone a secret medical with Juve in Madrid on Friday and last night the club informed Napoli of its intention to activate his €94.7m release clause.

The race is on for a replacement and Sportitalia claim one of the options has also been heavily linked with Juventus.

Gabigol, full name Gabriel Barbosa, plays wide right in an attacking role for Santos and aged 19 is already a senior Brazil international with two goals in four caps.

Santos are asking for around €25m and Juve had gone close, but were distracted by the Higuain situation.

Now Napoli can go for Gabigol as a valuable addition to their front line, especially with entry into the Champions League group phase guaranteed.

As for centre-forwards to replace Higuain, the most likely candidate remains Milan’s Colombia international Carlos Bacca, who is available for €30m.

Other options include Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon, Fiorentina’s Nikola Kalinic, Inter hitman Mauro Icardi and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Higuain cost Juventus €90m

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/7/24/12265086/gonzalo-higuain-

There are several reports suggesting Juventus will pay €90m for Gonzalo Higuain and not the full €94.7m Napoli clause.

President Aurelio De Laurentiis declared several times that the release clause in the contract was worth €94.7m.

However, Tuttosport, La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia claim that figure only stands if the player himself activates it.

Instead, as Juventus are the ones activating the clause, the cost of the operation will drop to €90m.

The sum can also be paid over the course of two years.

In a similar clause, Juve also received a discount on Miralem Pjanic's release clause from Roma earlier this summer.

Meanwhile, the Bianconeri’s rush to get the deal done is also explained by rumours the clause had a deadline of July 31.

It is also noted in the papers that Juventus did nothing illegal by having the player undergo a secret medical in Madrid, as that too is covered by the clause.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Reports: Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain to cost

Juventus €90 million, not €94.7 million

napoli-juventus-2016-serie-a-summer-transfer-rumors-90-million

http://www.football-italia.net/88282/napoli-fans-higuain-doesnt-want-love

At this point, Gonzalo Higuain signing with Juventus seems more like an inevitable occurrence rather than just a small possibility that is more to occupy the media's time during the summer compared to anything else. That's mainly because of the fact that as Juve played Melbourne Victory in Australia on Saturday, word came out in Italy that the five-time Serie A champions had agreed to pay Higuain's massive buyout clause.

According to the Italian media Sunday morning, that clause might not be what Juventus ends up sending to Napoli.

Reports from both Sky Sport Italia's Gianluca Di Marzio and Fabiana Della Valle of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus will pay Napoli €90 million for Higuain's services, not the €94.7 million buyout clause that everybody pretty much assumed would be the price to get Serie A's leading scorer to Turin this summer. The reasoning behind said price tag for it lies below in case you were wondering why such reports exist.

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Tarek Khatib @ADP1113

Juventus to pay 90m (and not 94.7m) for Higuain, because in this case the player did not free himself, instead a club paid the clause. #GdS

8:08 AM - 24 Jul 2016

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If this talk of potentially paying a few million euros lower than what the release clause sounds familiar, then you are pretty much remembering what went down earlier this summer. Miralem Pjanic's release clause was a reported €38 million. But when the official announcement came about, Juve were paying €32 million for the Bosnian midfielder, not €38 million like everybody widely assumed would be the case.

The same is now apparently going to be the situation with Higuain, whose transfer fee — no matter what it may actually end up being — will be one of the most expensive transfers to ever take place. Who knew it would be Juventus doing such business this summer, huh? What a time to be alive.

Whether €90 million or €94.7 million, this one gif involving a certain Beppe Marotta pretty much sums everything up.

Make it rain, Beppe. Make it rain on every single one of them.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Napoli fans: 'Higuain doesn't want love'

http://www.football-italia.net/88283/higuain-juve-decision-july-13?

Napoli stadium announcer Decibel Bellini wrote a farewell to Gonzalo Higuain, comparing him to a girl “who doesn’t want to be loved.”

The striker is due to complete his €90m transfer to arch rivals Juventus tomorrowand supporters have not taken the news well.

Some tore up his photographs, set fire to his shirts or shoved the jerseys down the toilet, while today a giant poster at Napoli’s training camp has had Higuain’s face cut out.

Now Decibel Bellini, a club legend for his stadium announcements at the San Paolo, has taken to Instagram and Twitter to express his feelings on the matter.

“When I was a young lad, I often fell in love with the most beautiful girls in the school. I was short and not that handsome, so in the end, despite my love letters and offers to carry their backpacks for them, I didn’t get anywhere.

“Today I have changed and fallen in love with Vale, who loves me back, and now we have almost two children (I say almost because little Lorenzo won’t arrive until September).

“When I fell in love and that sentiment was not reciprocated, did I feel hurt? Yes. When the girl I loved ignored me, did I tell everyone that I was never interested in her anyway? That too.

“Why am I telling you this: because at times we fall in love (I was the first to do so) with someone or something that, quite simply, doesn’t want to be loved.

“Maybe a nice evening together or a couple of seasons, but no love. Give and receive, they call them professionals.

“I cannot deny that I celebrated, almost cried, with joy (for example on the day of the record) and certainly cannot deny that what I hear and read doesn’t disappoint me, but I’ve always said it: the strength of Napoli is in the fans.

“We have fallen and got back up many times. In our vocabulary we don’t say ‘work’, we say ‘struggle.’ We are accustomed to suffering.

“Champions come and go, but the lads in the stands and the shirt, blue like the sky, will be there forever.”

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Higuain-Juve decision on July 13?

http://www.football-italia.net/88291/rossi-higuains-juve-europe

News agency Ansa reports Gonzalo Higuain agreed terms with Juventus on July 13 after rejecting an initial offer.

The Napoli striker will complete his move to Turin tomorrow for the €90m release clause, a discount on €94.7m due to a loophole.

He already underwent his medical in Madrid on Friday, accompanied by Bianconeri directors Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici.

According to news agency Ansa, this transfer has been in the works for some time.

It’s reported the talks began in June in Ibiza and Higuain had turned down an initial offer.

He then agreed terms with Juventus for a four-year contract worth €7.5m per season.

That decision was apparently made on July 13 in Madrid, where Pipita was on vacation after the Copa America.

If true, it means Napoli were not told about this situation until yesterday, when copies of his blood test form from the medical emerged.

There are reports Napoli believed Higuain would attend pre-season training at the Dimaro camp on Monday July 25, so were given no warning.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Paolo Rossi: 'Higuain's Juve for Europe'

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/the-toe-poke/65/post/2917471/napoli-fans-

Italy legend Paolo Rossi believes Juventus “can win the Champions League and Gonzalo Higuain’s decision wasn’t about money.”

The Bianconeri surprised everyone by agreeing to activate his €90m release clause from rivals Napoli.

“Higuain is a great player who guarantees an important step up in quality for Juve,” Rossi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Now they can really go on to win the Champions League. I think Higuain’s decision wasn’t about money, but rather because he wants to win, not just in Italy, but also in Europe.

“Perhaps he’s the best centre-forward in the world right now, but he is certainly among the top three. I’ve seen him do incredible things, he can score in any way and is a guarantee of goals.

“He’s a classic centre-forward, devastating in the box, but can also combine with his teammates. He’s therefore an old-style striker with the characteristics of a modern player. He’s got good technique, but also physical strength.

“His best quality is keeping his cool in front of goal and the determination he plays with. If he scores one goal, he immediately tries to go for another. His hunger for goals and victories is perfectly in line with the Juve attitude, so he’ll fit right in.

“It’s hard to find a defect in Higuain’s game, perhaps his heading ability.”

The Argentine shattered Serie A records stretching back to 1949-50, scoring 36 goals in 35 games for Napoli last season.

“He’s very different to Mario Mandzukic, so something has to change in Juve’s approach,” continued Pablito Rossi.

“Mandzukic is more generous, but not as effective with his finishing. It is an important resource for Max Allegri to have two such different forwards in the same squad.

“Higuain will score less at Juve, certainly, and will have to share the goals with Paulo Dybala, but I don’t think it’ll be that big a difference. He is at the height of his powers and will settle in quickly.

“Dybala is extraordinary and can play alongside anyone, so I’m sure he’ll form a crazy partnership with Higuain. They can become one of the best strike partnerships in Bianconeri history.”

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Napoli fans angry over Gonzalo Higuain's

potential move to Juventus

angry-over-gonzalo-higuains-potential-move-to-juventus

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/07/25/25921512/-?

Napoli fans appear to have reacted badly to the news their club are on the verge of selling Gonzalo Higuain to arch-rivals Juventus.

The Bianconeri are reported to have activated a release clause in the Argentine's contract, with the player set to complete his move between the two Serie A rivals this week.

Higuain had been expected to arrive at Napoli's training camp in Dimaro on Monday, but a billboard outside their habitual summer preseason base has been defaced by angry Napoli fans, with Higuain's face ripped off.

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Tancredi Palmeri

✔@tancredipalmeri

Beheaded Higuain on official billboard of Napoli pre-season camp. Not a whatever billboard...

5:24 PM - 24 Jul 2016

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And some fans have taken to burning his shirt, even though the move hasn't gone through yet.

Banners saying "heinous Higuain" were held aloft by fans during a Napoli training session while, back in Naples, a Higuain poster has been attached to the back of a garbage disposal truck.

It certainly does not look like it will be a popular move!

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Why Juventus are willing to pay €90 million for Higuain

The Bianconeri are ready to make the Argentine the third most expensive player in history

in the hope of ending their two-decade wait for Champions League glory.

Jul 25, 2016

Juventus want to win the Champions League at all costs - even if that means paying €90 million for a player who will turn 29 before the turn of the year.

The Bianconeri's decision to activate the buy-out clause in Gonzalo Higuain's Napoli contract, which could yet see other players moving in the other direction, has shocked some observers given their previous parsimony in the transfer market. However, this is a club driven by the desire to return to the summit of European football and they are prepared to make some calculated gambles in order to make that happen.

It is now 20 years since Juventus last lifted the Champions League, which is an agonising drought for a club of their size. They have been beaten finalists four times in the interim, losing in 1997, in 1998, on penalties to AC Milan in 2003, and suffering a 3-1 defeat to a brilliant Barcelona side in Berlin just over 12 months ago.

Juve's run to the final of 2014-15 final was a surprise, with the Old Lady overcoming Real Madrid in the semis, but it convinced everyone at Corso Galileo Ferraris that they were just one or two world-class players away from continental glory.

paul-pogba-juventus-champions-league-rec

Signing Miralem Pjanic was a masterstroke. The Bosnian playmaker is, at 26, at the peak of his powers and offers the kind of craft and ingenuity that Juve have been lacking in midfield - particularly since the departure of Andrea Pirlo. Landing a player of such quality for €10m less than Manchester United paid Borussia Dortmund for Henrikh Mkhitaryan represents a bargain in the current market.

The same could not be said of the signing of Higuain. The Argentine has been acquired with the sole intention of winning the Champions League. It has long been felt that Juve have been lacking a prolific No.9. Now they have the man who broke the single-season goalscoring record for Serie A.

But Juve have not made Higuain the third-most expensive player of all time to win a sixth successive Scudetto. They will privately view another domestic title as a formality. The former Madrid man has been brought on board to deliver the Champions League, with the Bianconeri confident that he will form a formidable frontline with compatriot Paulo Dybala, the 22-year-old livewire who enjoyed a sensational debut season in Turin following last summer's switch from Palermo.

"Higuain is a great player who guarantees an important step up in quality for Juve," Italy icon Paolo Rossi told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday. "Now they can really go on to win the Champions League.

"Dybala is extraordinary and can play alongside anyone, so I’m sure he’ll form a crazy partnership with Higuain. They can become one of the best strike partnerships in Bianconeri history."

paolo-rossi-gonzalo-higuain-juventus-ps_

The imminent departure of Paul Pogba to Manchester United threatened to undermine Juve's attempts to re-establish themselves among Europe's elite and Manchester City's interest in Leonardo Bonucci also suggested the Bianconeri were a big fish swimming with sharks.

The Italian champions are presently in the process of tying Bonucci the latter down to a new deal, one that will earn the play-making centre-half €5m season after tax, but it is the move for Higuain that is of greatest significance.

It is a statement signing; a message to the rest of Europe's elite that Juve mean business. Big business, as underlined not only by the €90m transfer fee but also the fact that Higuain will earn €7m after tax for the next four years.

It is a colossal investment in a 28-year-old who has a reputation for missing big chances in big games - but, as far as Juve are concerned, if Higuain fires them to Champions League glory, it will be money well spent.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Maradona: ‘Can’t understand Higuain’

http://www.football-italia.net/88322/maradona-‘can’t-understand-higuain’?

http://www.football-italia.net/88331/higuain-juve-48-hours

Napoli legend Diego Maradona finds it “hard to understand” why Gonzalo Higuain would leave for Juventus.

El Diego led the Partenopei to two Scudetti in his time at San Paolo, and it was hoped his compatriot could repeat the feat.

However, following 38 goals in 36 games last season, Higuain is only official confirmation away from moving to the Bianconeri for a Serie A record fee.

“He was sold for the maximum offer of the clause, also because he’d never be able to repeat what he did last year from a footballing perspective,” Maradona said, as reported by Il Mattino.

“The way he left was wrong, because what you get in Naples you won’t find elsewhere. I don’t like doing the medical in secret, Napoli fans don’t deserve that.

“Juve are hated by Neapolitans, and from that point of view I find it hard to understand Pipita’s decision.

“I expect [President Aurelio] De Laurentiis to use the €90m to make a winning Napoli.”

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Higuain to Juve in 48 hours?

http://www.football-italia.net/88341/report-final-higuain-talks-tonight

Gonzalo Higuain hasn’t reported for Napoli training, and is expected at Juventus within 48 hours.

It dramatically emerged over the weekend that the striker had a secret medical with the Bianconeri, who are ready to pay his release clause.

While the Turin club are offering players in exchange to lower the cost, they have informed the Partenopei that they’ll pay €90m in two instalments if a deal can’t be found.

Pipita was due to report for pre-season training today, but he hasn't turned up at the training camp in Dimaro.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Higuain is expected to join up with his new teammates in the next 48 hours, as he’s just waiting for the green light to arrive.

Meanwhile, at Napoli’s pre-season training camp in Dimaro, fans are continuing their anti-Pipita crusade with a new song calling for defender Lorenzo Tonelli to “break his legs”.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Report: Final Higuain talks tonight

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/07/gonzalo-higuain-to-juventus-an-unnecessary-evil-for-serie-a/?

Reports suggest Juventus will make a final attempt to negotiate with Napoli for Gonzalo Higuain, and if not they’ll pay his €90m clause.

Last season’s Capocannoniere has agreed a deal with the Bianconeri, having taken a secret medical in Madrid.

The Turin giants have informed the Partenopei that they will activate his release clause, but haven’t given up hope of a cash-plus-players deal.

Now Sky is reporting that general manager Giuseppe Marotta will call Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis tonight, offering cash plus one or more of Roberto Pereyra, Daniele Rugani, Stefano Sturaro or Simone Zaza.

If De Laurentiis is unwilling to negotiate, the Old Lady will simply pay the clause in two instalments of €94m.

Higuain is expected in Turin in the next 48 hours, but that timescale could be extended if the Partenopei are willing to negotiate, as some Juve players would have to negotiate a deal to move the other way.

Socrates · July 25, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain To Juventus: An Unnecessary Evil For Serie A

As Juventus look set to sign last season’s capocannoniere, Conor Clancy ponders whether

or not the move, despite its obvious pros, makes sense given its complete cost.

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2917640/juventus-

On Sunday, May 14, 2016, Gonzalo Higuain stood open-armed beneath the curva of the Stadio San Paolo, as his Neapolitan adorers lauded him after finishing off a record-breaking season for Napoli season by completing a hat-trick against Frosinone to bag 36 goals in 35 Serie A appearances.

Fast forward just over two months, and those same supporters now cry betrayal, as El Pipita closes in on a €94.7 million move to the only team to outperform the Partenopei last season – reigning Scudetto holders Juventus. Emotions are running high in Naples, as Higuain – who appeared to have formed a strong bond with more than Napoli, but also the city and its people – looks certain to join the one club that he really shouldn’t.

The Bianconeri have emerged victorious in each of the last five Serie A campaigns, and Higuain’s increasingly imminent arrival all but guarantees a sixth consecutive crown, one which could even be wrapped up before Massimiliano Allegri takes his side south to the San Paolo in April 2017, during round 30 of the 2016-17 season.

Higuain will undoubtedly be grateful to avoid enduring a gruelling public shaming like Cersei in Game of Thrones, however, his reception in Naples will be far from a welcomed homecoming.

In Turin, Pipa will team up with compatriot Paulo Dybala; one of the most exciting and promising strikers in world football, no less. ‘Dyguain’, as their partnership has already been christened by La Gazzetta dello Sport, is certain to tear up the Italian top flight next season.

In forming Dyguain, La Vecchia Signora will have killed off any title race before the season ever got underway. The two have never taken the field together with Argentina but appear custom made to play with one another.

The right-footed Higuain, a born predator with a sharp eye for goal, will be complemented the left-footed Dybala, who will drop deep and work the channels in search of space, likely dragging defenders all over the pitch with him.

Dybala, appropriately for his No.21 jersey with the club, could occupy the role of an advanced playmaker who also contributes goals, with Higuain to become the go-to-guy for finding the net.

“This Higuain affair is hurting me because he is going to a direct rival like Juventus,” said Napoli icon Diego Maradona last week.

Maradona will not be the only one upset by this move, as he joins a long list of supporters, from those of the Partenopei to Roma, to the Milanese clubs of Inter and AC Milan, too. No club on the peninsula will be able to cope with Juve’s newfound attacking prowess.

With Dybala joining Higuain in attack, along with Pjanic, Marko Pjaca, Dani Alves and co. assisting in providing the ammunition, Juventus’ indomitable defence will be accompanied by an unstoppable strike force as they look to add to their domestic domination with European success.

At nearly €95m, the fee expected to be paid for the striker is largely inconsequential, as it will be just a passing on of the money to be received for Paul Pogba. Nonetheless, with Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza already at the club, if this is the most resourceful investment of those funds is a reasonable question to ask.

In order to adequately shape up for a European push, Juventus could recruit another striker for around half of the price, and reinvest the remaining money into adding depth to their midfield, which will be weakened by Pogba’s exit.

Whether or not the 29-year-old will be the decisive factor in pushing the Bianconeri further in the Champions League remains to be seen, but Juventus could well be about to kill off the title race with no significant benefit to their Champions League chances.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Juventus' move to sign Higuain from Napoli is hard to justify

move-to-sign-gonzalo-higuain-from-napoli-is-hard-to-justify

http://www.football-italia.net/88355/higuain-waits-juventus-ok?

Barring some hugely improbable change of heart -- either from the player or Juventus -- Gonzalo Higuain will become the third most expensive player in the history of football this week, behind only Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

You can debate the exact numbers -- they're fuzzy anyway, what with undeclared bonuses and commissions as well as exchange rates -- but that's where a €90 million ($98.7 million) release clause would put him. And even if, as appears probable, Paul Pogba leaves the bianconeri for a world record fee (or close to it), Higuain will only slip to fourth.

Some might argue it's great business for Juve, who not only add one of the best center-forwards in the world, but also severely weaken Napoli, one of their two main rivals for the Serie A title. It's a repeat, on a grander scale, of the hammer blow they dealt to Roma last month when they activated another release clause to pick up Miralem Pjanic.

The numbers, though, suggest otherwise, as do the tactics. This is a gamble and, perhaps, a needless one.

Assuming Pogba moves, other than Higuain, who turns 29 in December, and Luis Suarez, who moved from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2014 when he was 27, none of the eight most expensive players of all time were older than 24.

In fact, a list of the top 20 most expensive transfers -- that includes Pogba and Higuain -- would have just one player older than Higuain at the time of his move: 29-year-old Zinedine Zidane, who went to Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001 for approximately €75m. And, as good as he is, Higuain is no Zidane. In other words, we're talking an enormous, unprecedented sum for a guy of his age.

Why does this matter?

Simple math. Assuming Juventus get five productive seasons out of him, he'll cost -- between wages and transfer fee -- around $35m a season. That's roughly what Ronaldo will have cost Real Madrid, on average per year, from the time he signed in 2009 to when his current deal expires in 2018. Now, nobody in their right mind would expect Ronaldo-level output from Higuain on the pitch, and certainly not off it in terms of commercial deals.

Not to mention the fact that, if things don't work out, he'll have very little resale value. You won't get anywhere close to your money back on a player aged 30 or older who earns $15m a season. (OK, I hear you at the back, asking about Hulk, who is 30, moving to China for $60m? Fine, but who knows how long the big spending in that part of the world will continue or whether Higuain has any interest in being a part of it?)

There's a standard knee-jerk reaction from some when you question how wealthy clubs spend their money: "What does it matter? We're rich!" they say, a mantra I heard dozens of times in years past when questioning the fees spent on Angel Di Maria and Anthony Martial.

Well, it does matter. No matter how profitable a club might be, it's not a bottomless pit. It has shareholders to whom it must answer and Financial Fair Play restrictions with which it must comply. Most of all, there's always -- no matter how profitable you are -- an opportunity cost.

If you spend $50m you did not need to -- either because you overpaid or because you bought a dud of a player or for whatever reason -- that's money that you don't have available to, say, increase your offer for Lionel Messi, to give across-the-board raises to key players to keep them happy or to invest in youth players. Or, indeed, to pay out to your shareholders.

Juventus have been, generally, a well-run club in the past five years, beyond their success on the pitch. In 2010-11, they had revenues -- excluding player-trading -- of $168m and losses of $104.6m. In 2014-15, the most recent season for which numbers are available, revenue was up to $355.6m and they became profitable for the first time in years.

That's why they can turn down approaches for Pogba and why they'll continue to do so until he tells them he wants to leave or they receive the kind of offer which would be foolish to turn down. (We may well be at that stage now; all will be revealed shortly.)

That's what makes the Higuain deal staggering. And, sure, there are going to be situations where you roll the dice for short-term gain to put your team over the top, even though it's financially imprudent. For example, there's an obvious parallel with Manchester United signing Robin van Persie from Arsenal in the summer of 2012.

He too was on the cusp of being 29 years old, he too was a highly prolific center-forward, he too weakened a direct rival. And he too -- from a strictly numbers vantage point -- made little sense, particularly as he was a year away from free agency.

Then again, Van Persie played a huge part in United's last Premier League title with 26 goals and enabled Sir Alex Ferguson to retire on a high note. Whether he was "worth" the expense or whether, given what happened in the following two seasons, his presence had a negative effect on the side can be debated.

What's not in question, though, is that Juventus are in a wholly different situation to where United were in 2012, and the sums involved for Higuain are more than twice those of Van Persie. So the parallel only works to an extent.

Away from the money, in terms of football, the move is hard to justify if you get beyond the initial and obvious question of whether Higuain is an upgrade over Alvaro Morata or Mario Mandzukic. (He is.)

There's a tactical argument. Higuain has thrived and done his best work, for Real Madrid and Napoli, as a lone striker in a 4-3-3. That means Juventus will have to change to accommodate him and so, too, will Paulo Dybala who, lest we forget, is 22-years-old and scored 22 goals last year as a second striker.

He looks destined for some kind of wide position. He's young and, no doubt, can adapt. But logic would suggest you build your side around the guys you think will be long-term stars, rather than shifting them about to shoehorn in short-term fixes.

There's an opportunity cost, too. Juventus lost Morata to Real Madrid last month and there was nothing they could do about it. Real exercised the €30m -- $33m -- buy-back option they put in his contract when selling him to Juve two years ago.

Morata is 23, has a huge upside and, odds are, will either sit behind Karim Benzema at the Bernabeu or be sold on this summer. You would have thought that working out a deal with Real to keep him -- even if it meant chucking another $30m on the table -- might have made more sense for Juve than spending one and a half times that on somebody five years older.

There are also other areas that could have used investment with a view toward the future, especially in a defence that features the likes of Andrea Barzagli and Patrice Evra (both 35), Dani Alves (33) and Stephan Lichtsteiner (32). As it stands, Daniele Rugani (21) and Alex Sandro (25) are the only first-team defenders under the age of 29.

Then there's the Pogba situation; Juve insist they don't need to sell him to fund the Higuain purchase. That may or may not be true, but it obviously weakens their negotiating position.

Ultimately, it comes down to this: You break the bank on a veteran if he takes you to the next level immediately. Higuain may be one of the best center-forwards in the world, but there is no reason to think Juve will come back stronger next season if Pogba moves on.

After dealing brilliantly with last summer's "triple witching" -- the concurrent departures of Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo -- the Higuain move feels like a head-scratcher for Juve, whose fans will be hoping I'm wrong.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Higuain waits for Juventus OK

http://www.juvefc.com/breaking-juventus-sign-gonzalo-higuain-napoli/?

Gonzalo Higuain is ready to join Juventus, but is waiting for the all-clear from his new club.

The Bianconeri have agreed a contract with the Napoli striker after he took a secret medical in Madrid, and are prepared to pay his €90m release clause.

It was reported last night that the Old Lady still hope to open negotiations with his current club to lower the cash price, and this morning Gazzetta dello Sport echoes that.

The newspaper believes that on Saturday, Juve general manager Giuseppe Marotta offered Partenopei President Aurelio De Laurentiis the possibility of opening negotiations.

That would see one or more players inserted into the deal to lower the cost, with Stefano Sturaro, Roberto Pereyra, Daniele Rugani, Neto and Simone Zaza all options.

De Laurentiis took a few days to consider the proposal and his reply is expected this evening, though it’s thought he’ll insist that the Turin side pay the release clause.

Having declared that Pipita would only leave if somebody activate the clause, the patron cannot be seen to back down to Juventus, especially since the deal will see Napoli’s star man moving to their most hated rivals.

Higuain didn’t turn up for pre-season with the Partenopei yesterday, indicating that he will not be returning, and is thought to be waiting for the nod to fly to Turin.

The Argentinian striker is still in Spain, but will join up with his new teammates in the next day or two, once the Old Lady activate his release clause.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

CONFIRMED – Juventus sign Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli

completes-juventus-transfer-from-napoli-sky-in-italy?

News outlets in Italy are reporting the completion of Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Juventus.

Sportitalia, Gazzetta Dello Sport, Sky Sport Italia and a host of others are reporting that Juventus have agreed to pay the €90m release clause that will take the Argentine from Naples to Turin.

Tuttomercato.web confirm that the deal is all but complete with Juve officials having registered Higuain’s contract at the offices of Lega Calcio this afternoon.

All that remains is for the club to confirm the transfer and unveil the player, after he reportedly completed his medical in Madrid last week.

Juve are expected to pay the release clause over two-years while Higuain will earn €7.5m per season having agreed a contract until 2020.

UPDATE

The official lega Serie A website has confirmed the transfer of Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus. The contracts have been deposited an the release clause has been paid:

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain completes Juventus transfer from Napoli

Gonzalo Higuain has become the world's third most expensive player

after completing his £75.3m move from Napoli to Juventus.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12961/10513276/gonzalo-higuain-

Meanwhile, Paul Pogba's move from Juventus to Manchester United is stalling over a stand-off regarding who pays his agent's fee, according to Sky in Italy.

The Argentina international has signed a five-year contract with the Serie A champions worth £6.3m per season.

Higuain passed a medical in Madrid on Friday after Juventus agreed to pay the 28-year-old's full release clause - a record transfer fee for the Serie A.

Real Madrid's purchases of Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m) in 2009 and Gareth Bale (£85m) in 2013 are the only deals that have cost more than Higuain's transfer to Juventus.

He becomes manager Massimiliano Allegri's fifth signing of the summer following the acquisitions of Miralem Pjanic, Dani Alves, Medhi Benatia and Marko Pjaca.

Higuain, who also reportedly attracted interest from Arsenal and Atletico Madrid, joined Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013 and had two years remaining on his contract in Naples.

He ended the 2015/16 season as the top scorer in Serie A with 36 goals and scored 91 times in 146 appearances for Napoli.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Juve deposit Higuain contract

http://www.football-italia.net/88376/juve-deposit-higuain-contract