Gonzalo Higuaín

http://www.football-italia.net/88379/official-juventus-sign-€90m-higuain

Juventus have completed the signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for €90 million, it has been confirmed.

The Argentine striker has long been linked with a move to the Serie A champions, having already agreed personal terms earlier in July.

The 28-year-old has agreed a five-year contract with Massimiliano Allegri's side, which will see him pocket €7m per year.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis had told Juve director Giuseppe Marotta that they would have to match Higuain's release clause to sign the forward, which was believed to be €94.7m, but that clause was only for the player himself to buy his way out of the club. The clause for any potential buyers was set at €90m.

Juve have matched that fee, which will be paid in two instalments of €45m, and have sent the contracts to the Lega Serie A, who have listed Higuain as a Bianconeri player.

Higuain, who scored 36 goals in 35 Serie A games last season, joined Napoli in 2013 and was tied to the club until June 2018. He follows the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Marko Pjaca, Medhi Benatia and Dani Alves in joining the Turin side this summer.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Official: Juventus sign €90m Higuain

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/7/26/12285390/

Forward Gonzalo Higuain has officially signed for Juventus from Napoli in a €90m deal.

Though neither club has yet confirmed the move, the Serie A official website acknowledges that it has received details of the player’s new contract with the Bianconeri, deposited at Lega Calcio headquarters this morning by Old Lady officials.

The 28-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-year contract worth €8m a season.

Higuain joined Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa during his time in Campania.

He scored 71 goals in 94 League starts for the club, including 36 last season.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Juventus have registered Higuain contract with the League

juventus-have-registered-higuain-contract-with-the-league

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2917385/juventus-sign-striker-gonzalo-higuain-from-napoli

This is as close to being officially official without actually being officially offical as yet.

Higuain’s contract as shown on the League website

The screengrab taken above is from the League’s official website, showing that Gonzalo Higuain is indeed a Juventus player.

And then just a matter of minutes ago, Beppe Marotta confirmed that Juventus have filed the documentation with the League for Higuain’s contract, which will net the player £6.3m (€7.5m) after tax per year on a four-year term.

Media sources are reporting that the Bianconeri will indeed pay the release clause of €90m, while the previously reported amount of €94.7m was only if the player was to buy himself out of his contract. Juve will pay the amount to Napoli over two equal installments, with the first payment due immediately and the next before the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

So all that’s left to say is..

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Juventus complete Gonzalo Higuain signing

from Napoli in €90 million deal

13680945_917231955054265_815827205636946

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/07/26/25962952/

Juventus completed the signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli on Tuesday after activating the striker's €90 million release clause in the most expensive transfer ever in Italian football.

The Italian champions confirmed that Higuain has signed a five-year deal with the club, tying him to the Bianconeri until 2021.

Higuain broke Gunnar Nordahl's 66-year-old Serie A goal-scoring record on the final day of last season when he scored a hat trick to give him 36 goals in 35 matches.

The 28-year-old's transfer fee is the third largest overall in history, following Real Madrid's acquisitions of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The previous most expensive transfer involving an Italian team was Juventus' sale of Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid for €75m in 2001, while the most an Italian team had ever paid to acquire a player was the €56.5 million Lazio sent Parma for Hernan Crespo in 2000.

Juventus director Beppe Marotta confirmed earlier on Tuesday that he had completed the registration of the Argentina forward in person, taking all the necessary documents to Lega Serie A headquarters in Milan to seal the deal.

"It's all done, we've registered Higuain's contract," Marotta told Sportitalia on Tuesday evening.

Napoli confirmed that Juventus had activated a release clause in Higuain's contract.

Follow

Official SSC Napoli

✔@sscnapoli

La Juventus Football Club ha esercitato la clausola rescissoria per l’acquisizione delle prestazioni sportive di Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain.

6:34 PM - 26 Jul 2016

3,856 Retweets

1,685 likes

A Juventus statement read: "Juventus Football Club S.p.A announce that they have completed the permanent purchase of the playing rights of the footballer Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain for a fee of €90 million, payable in two equal instalments in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons."

The former River Plate and Real Madrid striker scored a total of 71 goals for Napoli after joining the club in 2013 and helped the club to success in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2014.

He will hope to help Juventus to a sixth successive Serie A title this season.

Higuain becomes Juve's biggest signing of a summer in which they have already brought in Miralem Pjanic, Dani Alves, Marko Pjaca, Mario Lemina andMedhi Benatia.

Juventus have also been involved in talks to sell star midfielder Paul Pogba to Manchester United, but Marotta said on Tuesday that they had came to an impasse.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Totti labels Higuain's Juventus move 'a disaster'

The Argentina international has signed for five years in Turin, but the one-club man

bemoaned the "nomadic" players who he accused of following money over their hearts.

totti-higuain-move-a-disaster?ICID=TP_HN_HP_RI_0_2

http://www.football-italia.net/88384/napoli-and-juve-confirm-higuain

Roma great Francesco Totti has hit out at Gonzalo Higuain's €90 million move from Napoli to Juventus, claiming modern players do not feel any loyalty toward a club.

Higuain signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions on Tuesday to end weeks of speculation linking him with the Turin giants, but Totti, famously a one-club man, is not impressed with the former Real Madrid striker's decision to join Massimiliano Allegri's side.

"Modern players are a bit like nomads. They are following the money, not their heart. Not many athletes follow their heart. They decide to move elsewhere to win trophies and to earn more money," Totti told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Football has changed a lot, it is all about money now. Players change teams all the time, to make a bit more money elsewhere. It's more about money than about passion.

"People go to the stadiums to enjoy themselves and to see players in action who will always be with their team. They expect not to be betrayed.

"Just look at what happened with Higuain, leaving Napoli for Juventus. It's a disaster.

"But it is apparently quite normal for a foreign player these days to just leave for another team where they can make more money. It's a mentality problem.

"Not all foreigners are like [Diego] Maradona," he added, referring to Higuain's fellow Argentine, who remains a firm favourite in Naples after guiding Napoli, his only Italian club, to two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.

Juventus have already lured Totti's former team-mate Miralem Pjanic to Turin from Roma.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Napoli and Juve confirm Higuain

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/7/26/12286700/official-juventus-

Napoli and Juventus have confirmed that Gonzalo Higuain has joined the Old Lady.

The 28-year-old scored a whopping 36 goals in Serie A last season, helping the Campania club finish second behind the Bianconeri.

However, the Italian double winners this afternoon sealed a €94m move for the Argentine, depositing the player’s contract details at the Lega Calcio headquarters.

The Bianconeri released a statement on their website to announce the move.

“Juventus Football Club can today confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain for €90m, payable in two financial years," the statement reads.

“The player has agreed a five-year contract with the club.”

Meanwhile, Napoli informed fans of the Argentine's departure via their Twitter feed.

“Juventus have exercised the release clause for the acquisition of the sporting rights of Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain,” an announcement on Napoli’s official Twitter feed reads.

The Azzurri appear to have moved quickly in their bid to replace Higuain, with reports in the Netherlands claiming they have agreed a fee with Ajax that would see them sign Arkaduisz Milik.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Juventus sign Gonzalo Higuain

from Napoli for €90 million

The Argentinian forward will join forces with his countryman at Juve

sign-gonzalo-higuain-from-napoli-90-million-transfer-finalized-serie-a-confirmed

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2652555-gonzalo-higuain-

This is one signing that will go down in Juventus’ history for how quickly and quietly it was executed, and for how Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici made an impossible task look so easy.

If Napoli had thought that putting a prohibitive €90 million release clause on their best player from last season was going to deny the Bianconeri, they have been mistaken. And if the Bianconeri faithful around the world had any doubts whatsoever that Juventus were not going to go all out over the next couple of seasons to win the Champions League, those fears can be laid to rest.

Earlier today the club filed the contract papers for the 28-year-old with the Serie A headquarters, and just a few minutes ago announced the signing in a press release on the official website.

Juventus Football Club can today confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain for €90 million, payable in two financial years.

The player has agreed a five-year contract with the club.

They promptly followed it up with a social media release as well -

Higuain scored a Serie A record 36 goals in 35 League games last season had joined Napoli in 2013 from Real Madrid on a five year contract. He had 91 goals and 26 assists with the Partenopei in 146 appearances over three years, and previous to that 122 goals and 56 assists over 264 games in Madrid. The striker has 63 international caps scoring 30 goals with 14 assists for the Argentina national team.

Click here to follow the timeline of the chase and capture of Higuain’s signature, and these might be even more relevant now - three reasons why Juventus needed to sign the forward, and three reasons why they shouldn’t have bothered.

What remains to be seen now is how Higuain, who has previously played as sole striker in Naples and at the Los Blancos before that, will fit in with Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri’s 3-5-2/4-3-1-schemes where he will have to share the workload with another forward.

As for the steep price paid for ‘Il Pipita’, there are two ways of looking at it. The first is courtesy of football journalist Gab Marcotti, who wrote -

"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."

Good points all, but at the same time, this terse one-liner from Twitter also summarizes the feelings of most fans quite succinctly.

17h

Zørdabø @Zordabo

@Adz77 @Marcotti I said this as soon as this was speculated. Its only an "OK" purchase if we keep Pogba but we'd lose so much cash.

Follow

VishnuGopalakrishnan @vishnu87

@Zordabo @Adz77 @Marcotti so if u look at it like we spent 120million on pjanic and higuain its justified IN THIS MARKET

5:59 AM - 26 Jul 2016

1 Retweet

2 likes

€120 million to weaken your top two rivals while improving your own squad is just good business, period.

So, either way, Higuain is now a Juventus player and as soon as this Paul-Pogba-to-Manchester-United circus is resolved, Allegri and the boys can get down to training for the upcoming season.

Socrates · July 26, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus: Latest Transfer

Details, Comments and Reaction

to-juventus-latest-transfer-details-comments-and-reaction?

http://www.thehardtackle.com/multi-media/2016/07/27/napoli-fans-claim-

Gonzalo Higuain has completed a move away from Napoli, joining Serie A rivals Juventus on a five-year deal, the clubannounced.

Transfer speculation regarding the Argentina international has been around for some time, most likely as a result of a sensational 2015-16 campaign in which he broke former AC Milan striker Gunnar Nordahl's Serie A record for goals in a season (35), scoring 36.

Here's a look at some of his highlights:

The 28-year-old became Napoli's main attacking weapon when he joined the club from Real Madrid in 2013, but despite his consistent individual success, the club couldn't break Juventus' dominance in Serie A.

Last season was perhaps the most painful one for the Partenopei, who watched as Juventus struggled tremendously at the start of the season only to go on a lengthy winning streak to pass them in the standings.

hi-res-e85e2843e86625ea705db108c719a71f_

Lancia/Associated Press

The lack of silverware likely contributed to Higuain's decision to leave, as he's in his prime and has established himself as one of the world's best strikers over the past few years. He deserves to be competing for major silverware every season.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis long maintained the player would not be sold, and speaking to Radio Kiss Kiss (h/t FourFourTwo), he said Higuain had told him he would stay back in June.

Per FourFourTwo's Adam Digby, the fact he was unusually silent when new rumours first emerged was telling:

View image on Twitter

Follow

Adam Digby

✔@Adz77

I'm normally massively sceptical when it comes to transfer rumours but this man's silence on Higuain is deafening

4:26 PM - 15 Jul 2016

25 Retweets

32 likes

Higuain's move to Turin makes Juventus' grip on Serie A that much tighter, as he becomes the second star player to join the Bianconeri from a direct rival, after Miralem Pjanic's move from AS Roma earlier this year.

The Old Lady seem ready for a serious assault on the UEFA Champions League, and the path to a sixth straight Italian title is wide open.

The loss of Higuain will be keenly felt in Naples, making the gap between the Partenopei and Juventus even wider. A title challenge seems unlikely in the immediate future, but De Laurentiis now gets to work with the hefty transfer fee. With the right additions, this move could turn out to be a smart one for Napoli in the long run.

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Socrates · July 27, 2016

NAPOLI FANS CLAIM GONZALO HIGUAIN IS ‘NOT A TRUE

ARGENTINE’ AFTER €90M MOVE TO JUVENTUS [BEST TWEETS]

Juventus have completed the much anticipated signing of Argentine striker

Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for a massive transfer fee of €90 million.

gonzalo-higuain-is-not-a-true-argentine-after-e90m-move-to-juventus-best-tweets/?

http://www.football-italia.net/88394/higuain-rejoin-juve-today

This is how the Bianconeri announced El Papita‘s arrival in Turin.

Follow

hash @hashim0307

- Juventus signed Higuain
Evra: "I don't believe it"

2:18 AM - 27 Jul 2016

1,054 Retweets

944 likes

This transfer makes Higuain the third most expensive football player in the world, after the likes of Real Madrid forwards Gareth Bale (€101 million), and Cristiano Ronaldo (€94 million).

Follow

Transfer News Live @DeadlineDayLive

Most expensive players of all-time:

1 - Gareth Bale (£86m)
2 - Cristiano Ronaldo (£80m)
3 - Gonzalo Higuaín (£75m)

(Source: @Footy)

9:50 PM - 26 Jul 2016

768 Retweets

662 likes

While some would say that the 28-year-old has justified his price tag by scoring 36 goals from 35 Serie A appearances last season, fans on Twitter were not exactly convinced that Higuain is worth that much. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions we found.

Follow

Hassan @ClassofBergkamp

To think Higuain is the third biggest transfer ever while he isn't even one of the top 5 strikers in the World. Release clauses these days.

8:39 PM - 26 Jul 2016

43 Retweets

36 likes

Follow

Juan Direction @JuanDirection57

Higuain becoming the 3rd most expensive player in history is just plain ridiculous. The transfer market is overinflated

3:37 AM - 27 Jul 2016

25 Retweets

54 likes

View image on Twitter

Follow

Football Facts @FootbalIFact

We now live in a world where Gonzalo Higuain is worth more than this man...

Football has well and truly gone mad...

8:25 PM - 26 Jul 2016

515 Retweets

490 likes

Follow

Hala Madrid-I.K @HalaMadridIK

I could analyze the deal all my life, but I would never understand how someone can pay €90M for Higuain now. Mindblowing.

11:25 PM - 26 Jul 2016

31 Retweets

13 likes

Follow

James Tyler

✔@JamesTylerESPN

It's insane that Gonzalo Higuain is being sold for 90 million euros.

9:22 PM - 26 Jul 2016

5 Retweets

8 likes

The Napoli fans are known to be fiercely loyal to their club and its player. Here is a reminder of the kind of reception Higuain used to get at the San Paolo.

Follow

Emilio @EmilioCelini

Please tell me this guy comes in the Higuain deal.

9:05 PM - 26 Jul 2016

93 Retweets

76 likes

However, things turn ugly when one of Naples’ favourite sons decides to join a rival club. Here are a couple of indications of the kind of reception Higuain will get from the San Paolo crowd in the future.

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Higuain to rejoin Juve today

http://www.football-italia.net/88396/adl-higuain-traitor

Former Napoli icon Gonzalo Higuain will reach Turin today, where a crowd of Juventus fans will welcome him.

The player's move is already official, as his contract has been deposited by the Old Lady with Lega Serie A.

Higuain has undergone his medicals in Madrid, in a rather secretive fashion, and will join his new club this morning.

He is expected in Turin at 9:30a.m. UK time, where TuttoJuve.com report that he will be greeted by a large crowd of Bianconeri supporters.

Socrates · July 27, 2016

ADL: 'Higuain is a traitor!' .oddio

http://www.football-italia.net/88402/higuain-happy-be-here

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis uses no half-measures to discuss Gonzalo Higuain: 'He's a traitor, no exaggeration!'

The film mogul was bitterly opposed to selling his star striker to the club's most direct rivals, but when the Old Lady activated the player's buy-out clause, he had to cave in.

“Half an hour after we were informed by Juventus that they intended to pay the clause, we started planning our future,” De Laurentiis told Il Corriere dello Sport.

“We understood, ever since the first statements released by Higuain's brother [and agent], that we risked having to look for a new striker.

“But we didn't seriously expect him to leave, nor that he'd erase his three years in Naples in this manner. Some believe that talking of a betrayal is an exaggeration, but I think differently. In this move there is the full meaning of a betrayal, which includes ingratitude.

“I'd like to close the matter without wasting polemics. I had a certain consideration of Juventus, but I expected a different behaviour from them. It's true, there was a clause, and no formal foul play has been made, other perhaps than the player's secret medicals. But in this ruthless football, there is no respect at all for sentiment.”

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Higuain: 'Happy to be here'

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2892/transfer-zone/2016/07/27/25979312/-?

Gonzalo Higuain released his first statements upon reaching the Juventus centre: 'Glad to be here, I want the Champions League'.

The Argentinian's plane landed in Turin this morning, and he was welcomed at the Jmedical by a crowd of about 200 Bianconeri fans.

“I'm glad to be here and ready to start this new adventure,” he said, according to TuttoJuve.com. “All I'm thinking about is training well and starting off at my best.”

“I hope to win the Champions League,” he also said, as reported by CalcioNews24.com. “I'm looking forward to playing with Paulo Dybala.”

Socrates · July 27, 2016

WATCH: Juventus fans give Higuain a roaring welcome

The Argentina international striker has Bianconeri supporters excited as he completes

his €90 million transfer from Napoli to Massimiliano Allegri's Italian champions.

http://www.football-italia.net/88406/adl-argues-napoli-fans

Gonzalo Higuain's arrival at Juventus on Wednesday caused quite the stir.

Fans of the Old Lady have been waiting impatiently for confirmation of the Argentina international striker's €90 million switch from Napoli and they finally saw their man at around 10.40CET as he touched down in Turin.

A huge crowd was waiting at Caselle airport when Higuain arrived from Madrid on a private plane. Hundreds of fans enthusiastically chanted "we came all this way to see Higuain score" and "if you don't jump, you're a Neapolitan".

Juve got around Napoli's huge release clause by agreeing to pay it in two instalments over two years. After passing a medical, Higuain stands to pocket €7.5m per season plus bonuses.

"I'm happy to be here," declared the Argentine upon his arrival. "Now let's get back and get in shape for the first day."

Socrates · July 27, 2016

ADL argues with Napoli fans

http://www.football-italia.net/88411/higuain-‘juventus-can-be-great’

Napoli's Aurelio De Laurentiis has a tense face-off with his fans: 'Don't ask dumb questions!'

This is a bitter day amid the Partenopei as their star and symbol Gonzalo Higuainrejoins their rivals Juventus.

De Laurentiis, who lambasted the Pipita as a traitor, visited his team today in their training session and spoke with the staff.

Napoli Magazine report that the film tycoon also had a tense exchange with the fans at the training grounds.

While he was initially applauded, De Laurentiis couldn't hold back a rough response when a fan asked him whether he would be buying any new players.

“What kind of a b****** question is that?” he snapped, angering the fans who responded with yells of protest.

He was also asked by a fan what they should tell Higuain next time they saw him, and he responded 'Rubentino', a pun on the Italian word for stealing ('rubare') and Juventino.

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Higuain: ‘Juventus can be great’

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276/serie-a/2016/07/27/25982742/-?

Gonzalo Higuain hopes Juventus can have “a great season” and will wear the number nine shirt.

The striker has joined the Bianconeri from Napoli, and had some further medical tests at J-Medical this morning.

After completing the evaluation, Pipita headed to the club’s headquarters, emerging onto he balcony to show his number nine shirt to the waiting fans.

“It’s a great feeling,” Higuain told Sky.

“I’m glad to be here and I hope we have a great season. We have the team to do it, we have a great club and we hope to make the fans happy.

“The Champions League? Hopefully, the important thing now is to work and stay calm, as well as arriving at the start of the season in the best possible shape.”

Earlier today, Higuain talked of his desire to play with Argentine compatriot Paulo Dybala, and reiterated that here.

“I already knew him before I came here, from the national team. We’re friends and I’m happy to be here with him.

“He told me that Juve is a great team and a great family and I’ll get on well here. Thank you for coming to see me, and we hope to do great things this year.”

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Higuain takes Juventus No.9 shirt

The former Napoli striker became the third most expensive signing of all time when he

was officially confirmed as a Juve player on Tuesday and has been presented to the club's fans.

http://www.football-italia.net/88413/‘higuain-top-three-world’

New Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain has been handed the No.9 shirt for the 2016-17 campaign.

Higuain, who joined the Serie A champions in a €90 million deal to become the third most expensive transfer in football history, has been presented to the club's supporters after successfully completing a medical.

And the former Napoli forward has been pictured holding aloft his No.9 shirt, having been given a hero's welcome by Juve fans, with the number previously worn by the likes of Alvaro Morata, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcelo Salas.

Socrates · July 27, 2016

‘Higuain top three in the world’

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2918759/gonzalo-higuain-overjoyed-with-juventus-transfer-from-napoli

Milan Coach Vincenzo Montella admits new Juventus signing Gonzalo Higuain is “among the top three in the world”.

The Bianconeri have officially completed the signing of last season’s Serie A top-scorer, paying €90m over two years to take him from Napoli.

“Higuain speaks for himself,” Montella said in a Press conference ahead of the pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich.

“He’s a player who has scored almost a goal a game, he’s among the top three in the world. Juve have reinforced even more, and weakened Napoli, but the Azzurri will find a top-class replacement.”

The Rossoneri are in the middle of a takeover attempt, and the attempted Chinese purchase has limited what they can do on the transfer market.

“I just think about coaching the team. I’m in daily contact with [CEO Adriano] Galliani and I’m sure he’ll do the best for Milan.”

Socrates · July 27, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain overjoyed with Juventus transfer from Napoli

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2654295-what-gonzalo-higuain-will-add-to-juventus-in-201617?

Gonzalo Higuain says he is experiencing some "beautiful feelings" after completing his move from Napoli to Juventus.

Higuain arrived in Turin on Wednesday to complete his move to the Bianconerifor a Serie A record €90 million.

After undergoing a second medical for the club, having passed an initial examination in Madrid prior to the confirmation of his move, he spoke to Sky Sport Italia about his frame of mind.

"I'm experiencing beautiful feelings today and I am delighted to have joined Juventus," the 28-year-old said. "Let's hope, as I said before, that we play a great year. We've got the team and club capable of it and I hope to give the fans some joy."

He did that already in his first hours as a Juve player with several hundred fans turning up at the airport to witness his arrival and many more following his progress at the club's J Medical facilities next to the Juventus Stadium.

After leaving there, he linked up with some of his future teammates -- including Dani Alves, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Mario Mandzukic -- at their Vinovo training ground, where he will train ahead of the return of coach Massimiliano Allegri and the rest of the Bianconeri squad from their tour of Australia and Hong Kong.

"The important thing is to work hard, keep calm and arrive at the first game of the season in the best shape possible," Higuain said before confirming that he had spoken to Argentina compatriot Paulo Dybala prior to signing on the dotted line with Juve.

"We've got a good friendship and now I'm delighted to be with him," he said. "He told me it's a great team and a great squad and let's hope we can do great things this season."

Socrates · July 27, 2016

What Gonzalo Higuain Will Add to Juventus in 2016/17

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/7/28/12304554/juventus-gonzalo-higuain-2016-serie-a-transfers-video

With just a brief note on their official website, Juventus furtherexetended their dominance over their Serie A rivals and simultaneously served notice that their bid for UEFA Champions League success should now be taken extremely seriously.

“Juventus Football Club can today confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain for €90 million,” it read, going on to reveal that the player had agreed a five-year contract with the club.

The deal had already been discussed publicly for a week until that point, and Juventus fans were clearly overjoyed at the move. They gathered in large numbers at both Turin airport and at the stadium to welcome their newest signing, cheering loudly when he finally appeared and met them.

It was news that was far less well-received at his former club, however. Napoli owner and president Aurelio De Laurentiis left little doubt as to his feelings on the matter during an interview with theCorriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia):

Half an hour after we were informed by Juventus that they intended to pay the clause, we started planning our future. We understood, ever since the first statements released by Higuain's brother [and agent], that we risked having to look for a new striker.

But we didn't seriously expect him to leave, nor that he'd erase his three years in Naples in this manner. Some believe that talking of a betrayal is an exaggeration, but I think differently. In this move there is the full meaning of a betrayal, which includes ingratitude.

Yet that is now merely a side issue for the Bianconeri, with the most pressing concern being Higuain’s ability to settle quickly into his new surroundings. In order to reach their collective goals, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri will need to integrate the Argentina international into what was a settled starting XI with as little drama or delay as possible.

The coach’s default formation last term was the 3-5-2 that has been part of the Old Lady’s sustained domination over the past five seasons, but that will mean Higuain will need to adapt to playing with a strike partner.

53f51086754fa142bdf10f09e8a3ac16_crop_ex

lineupbuilder.com

Juventus & Napoli Formations 2015/16

At Real Madrid, Napoli and even with his national team, the 29-year-old will have grown accustomed to being the lone frontman in a 4-3-3 framework, and a failed experiment last term appeared to hint at a potential issue.

Arriving at the club from Empoli, coach Maurizio Sarri attempted to use the same 4-3-1-2 setup that had brought him success in Tuscany by fielding Jose Callejon alongside Higuain with Lorenzo Insigne behind them.

It was a disaster. Napoli took just two points from their opening three matches as the players struggled with the changes, conceding six goals while looking completely out of sorts. Yet while the team laboured,Higuain was certainly not finding the system a problem, netting four times in those outings to begin his record-setting season.

Sarri would shift back to a three-man front line, and the striker continued to flourish, ending 2015/16 by setting a new Serie A single-season mark for goals with 36 in just 35 league appearances.

Allegri will hope to see him thrive in tandem with fellow Argentinian Paulo Dybala, and Higuain told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) shortly after completing his medical that he had already spoken to his compatriot:

I already knew him before I came here, from the national team. We’re friends and I’m happy to be here with him. He told me that Juve is a great team and a great family and I’ll get on well here. Thank you for coming to see me, and we hope to do great things this year.

With 21 goals and 10 assists to his name, Dybala adapted well following his own move from Palermo last summer, even as he was asked to play in a much deeper role than he previously had.

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squawka.com

Chances Created 2015/16

Indeed, his league tally of 19 goals was only bettered by Higuain, and the two of them together is a mouthwatering prospect. Dybala showed he can be a hugely creative force, leading all Juventus players by laying on 73 scoring chances per the Squawka graphic shown above.

There is certainly no better player to take advantage of those opportunities than Higuain, whose entire 2016/17 campaign was a lesson in clinical finishing. According to statistics taken fromWhoScored.com, he led Serie A with 5.2 shots per game, an average that was 1.6 attempts more than any other player.

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squawka.com

Gonzalo Higuain 2015/16

Yet he certainly did not waste those chances, as the above graphic shows, hitting the target with an impressive 58 percent of his shots and constantly keeping opposition goalkeepers busy as he peppered them repeatedly.

But Juventus will expected even more from Higuain in 2016/17. TheBianconeri have made little secret of their desire for Champions League success, and this huge outlay will be seen as the next step in their return to prominence.

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OptaPaolo

✔@OptaPaolo

9 - #Higuain has been directly involved in 9 goals in his last 10 Champions League appearances (5 goals, 4 assist). Target.#HiguainDay

11:42 AM - 27 Jul 2016

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Last season saw Sarri rest his star man during Napoli’s Europa League campaign, but Higuain does indeed boast a solid record in UEFA’s top competition. As the Opta tweet above explained, he has been involved in nine goals in his last 10 outings and overall has netted 13 career strikes in the Champions League.

According to Transfermarkt, he has averaged a goal every 230 minutes in that competition, a scoring rate he will need to improve if he is to fire the Bianconeri to the glory they so dearly crave.

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Eric Gay/Associated Press

“I’m glad to be here and I hope we have a great season,” he told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the move was announced. “We have the team to do it, we have a great club and we hope to make the fans happy,”

“The Champions League?”Higuain continued in that same interview. “Hopefully; the important thing now is to work and stay calm, as well as arriving at the start of the season in the best possible shape.”

That will undoubtedly include learning the systems chosen by Allegri as soon as possible, as El Pipita is now expected to help deliver the ultimate glory for Italian football’s grand Old Lady.

Socrates · July 28, 2016

VOTD: Gonzalo Higuain's first day as a Juventus player

Here's a hint: Juventus fans were happy to see him.

http://www.football-italia.net/88443/sarri-higuain-disappointed-everyone?

Gonzalo Higuain showed up at the Turin airport with a black vest and a white shirt. Coincidence? Probably not. Fitting considering what club he had just been added to? Well, absolutely.

Wednesday was indeed Higuain Day in Turin.

If you didn't know any better, you'd think a bunch of people standing around the outside of the airport during regular work hours was some kind of problem. But when your favorite club's new star striker rolls into town and dons a black and white scarf to go along with his black and white outfit for the first time, you're willing to make some exceptions.

While reports stated that Higuain had already undergone medical examinations in Spain, Wednesday was also the day for the 28-year-old Argentinian to get the all-clear from the staff at JMedical. That happened, and as you can see from the video above, it didn't take Higuain long to get onto the training ground at Vinovo.

Another thing that was expected to happen? Higuain getting his jersey number.

Although it wasn't at a press conference like pretty much all of Juventus' other signings the past two summers, Higuain took the balcony like Carlos Tevez did when he first arrived and revealed his new No. 9 shirt to the masses. That's no surprise, really. Alvaro Morata is no longer a Juventus player, the No. 9 shirt was open for the taking, and Higuain is known wearer of the No. 9 throughout his career.

Put all of those things together and you have Juventus' new No. 9 being a hit with the folks in Turin.

It is expected on Thursday that Higuain will be unveiled to the media as a Juventus player for the first time. He'll probably hold up his new jersey and show off his new -- yet kinda same -- number at the same time while posing for pictures with Beppe Marotta and whoever else is there. It will be another chance to talk about Higuain's move to Juventus. Why is that good? Because it's not all too often that we see Juve splashing €90 million on a player from a direct rival -- or anybody for that matter -- during a summer transfer window.

Socrates · July 28, 2016

Sarri: 'Higuain disappointed everyone'

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2917610/higuain-

Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri is disappointed by Gonzalo Higuain and his move to Juventus: 'We all expected at least a call to say goodbye'.

The Bianconeri activated the Argentine's clause and took the player up to Turin for €90m, completing the most costly transfer ever made between two Italian clubs.

“It's hard for me to speak of Higuain after seeing him wearing the Juventus shirt,” Sarri told Il Corriere dello Sport. “I'll talk about it, but not gladly. It was his own decision, because our offer matched what was offered away from here.

“From a personal point of view, I'm left embittered. I was expecting at least a phone call, be it just five minutes before he had his medicals. But I'm old enough not to be surprised.

“The lads too expected a farewell. That I know of, there was nothing.

“But there's no use in crying over spilled milk. We're strong, and last year we played three games without him and made six points. I'd say that isn't bad.

“We lose a decisive player, the strongest striker in the world. In any case, I am Napoli's Coach and I must give [Manolo] Gabbiadini faith. He has means to be developed.

“We'll make good Higuain's absence by spreading out the responsibilities on the collective game. We haven't lost the desire to play the way we like.”

Socrates · July 28, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain's controversial move means Juventus are even stronger

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http://www.football-italia.net/88452/cassano-higuain-monster

Gonzalo Higuain was due back from his holiday on Monday and Napoli were expecting him to report for duty at their high-altitude training camp in Dimaro. Last Friday, though, and unbeknownst to Napoli, he flew to Madrid, where he checked into a clinic called la Moraleja and underwent a medical for Juventus. On Thursday afternoon he will be unveiled at the J Stadium after the Italian champions activated his €90 million release clause.

The first Napoli apparently heard of the potential deal was on Saturday morning when Andrea Chiavelli, the club secretary, got a phone call. It was from Juventus' front office. La Stampa reconstructed it along these lines: "We have got an agreement with Higuain: Are you willing to negotiate or shall we activate his buy-out clause?"

Naples will no longer be home to Higuain -- one can only imagine the reception when the Argentina international returns to the San Paolo in April next year -- but a house already awaits him in Turin. Actually, it's more like a palace with gilt and frescoed ceilings, chandeliers, an antique furniture collection and Turkish bath. The place is fit for a king and, at €30,000 a month, perhaps it's just as well that he is about to become the highest-paid player in Italy.

In the meantime, Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis has kept a low profile and decided against attending Saturday's friendly with Trento. At the beginning of last week, he not only dismissed the idea that Higuain would leave for Juventus but also the idea that the Italian champions would even attempt such a move. Now he is calling him a "Rubentino," mixing the term "Juventino" (a Juventus fan) with the verb "rubber" (to steal.)

Until it was too late, De Laurentiis chose to believe that their "class" -- the age-old stile Juve or gentleman-like style with which they do business -- would instinctively discourage them from entertaining the very thought of pulling this kind of manoeuvre.

"There's nothing to say, guys," Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta commented a week ago. "There are no negotiations. There's no possibility of negotiations." Nor were Juventus willing to pay the buy-out clause; the case seemed to be closed. "For now," Marotta teased, hinting that it was not over.

De Laurentiis then made the unconvincing argument that Juventus wouldn't go through with it on the basis that it would make them "extremely unpopular", before going on Radio Kiss Kiss on Friday afternoon and said: "Higuain will not go to Juventus because it wouldn't be right if he went to another team in Serie A."

As such, De Laurentiis must have been blindsided more by Juventus' preparedness to pay the clause than by Higuain pursuing the move, especially given there have been tensions between the two men in the past.

The first emerged at the end of February when De Laurentiis said out that the striker was a kilo and a half overweight: "It's like walking around with a brick in your pocket," he said. Higuain was, by his own standards, in the middle of a goal drought. He hadn't scored in two games.

Gonzalo Higuain — Higuain holds up a Juventus shirt after completing his deal.

It was a strange thing for De Laurentiis to say. At the time, Higuain was the league's top scorer with 24 goals. There were still eight games to go and he had already scored more than the previous season's Capocannoniere and was on course to break a record that had stood since 1950. Fat or thin it was history in the making.

A month then went by and you could have been forgiven for thinking that everything had been forgotten. But De Laurentiis' words proved difficult to digest. When Mediaset Premium reported Higuain had turned down a new contract offer in March, Napoli melodramatically announced a media blackout.

They then chose silence when Nicolas Higuain, Gonzalo's brother and agent, went on Radio Marca after the Copa America and said that, in his opinion, De Laurentiis hadn't kept the word he had given three years ago to improve the team every summer and make Napoli competitive enough to win the Scudetto. Juventus can make that promise to Higuain and not break it.

Ever since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Inter for Barcelona in 2009, the mal di pancia-- stomach ache -- he put it down to has entered the football lexicon in Italy as the definition of your gut telling you it's time to leave but, nonetheless, this transfer is destined to go down as one of the most controversial in history.

"I'm pleased," Jose Altafini admitted on Radio Capital. "Higuain will soon replace me. He'll be core 'ngrato now, not me."

Altafini has been known as "ungrateful heart" ever since he left Napoli for Juventus in 1972. A more recent parallel, however, is perhaps to be made with Roberto Baggio and his world record transfer from Fiorentina to Juve in 1992.

There were riots in the streets of Florence when that happened and, while Napoli fans have ripped up Higuain shirts and even flushed them down the toilet, the similarity ends there. What separates the two is that Higuain wants to go. Baggio was reluctant.

The transfer is a game-changer for the Old Lady. With it, she enters a new dimension. One of the reasons Antonio Conte left Juventus two seasons ago was his - misplaced -- belief that they didn't have the financial capability to compete in the Champions League. Famously, he said that you can't eat at a restaurant that charges €100 a head with only €10 in your pocket.

Juventus have not only broken the Serie A transfer record and and agreed to pay more for one player than they did for Gigi Buffon and Lilian Thuram combined in 2001, but they are doing a deal that, for now, is only eclipsed by Gareth Bale's and Cristiano Ronaldo's moves to Real Madrid in 2013 and 2009 respectively.

If you include the option to sign Mehdi Benatia from Bayern, Juventus' spending so far this summer will come to €162m, which is not only more than any other club in Europe but also more than the rest of Serie A combined. In fact, the only other clubs to have spent more than €10m so far are Roma, Napoli and Lazio.

Frighteningly for their domestic rivals, Juventus continue to insist that this move isn't related to Paul Pogba and Manchester United's offers to break the world transfer record for him, although by now it seems unlikely the Frenchman will stay in Turin.

Higuain's fee is manageable, relatively speaking, in that it's payable in two instalments of €45m. Napoli might also come around to accepting players in exchange while fringe Juve players like Roberto Pereyra, Mario Lemina, Hernanes and Simone Zaza don't lack for offers.

Now more than ever, Juventus are in a league of their own.

Socrates · July 28, 2016

Cassano: 'Higuain is a monster'

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2919284/gonzalo-higuain-didnt-

Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano believes Gonzalo Higuain was worth the €90m that Juventus paid for him: 'He's a monster'.

The Argentinian striker's transfer from Napoli shattered records in Serie A and dramatically changed the hierarchies and balances of the championship.

“The price is right, when you consider the crazy amounts that are spent for normal players,” said Cassano to Il Secolo XIX.

“I can't remember Juventus ever accepting to pay such a costly buy-out clause before. Higuain in one word? He's a monster.”

Socrates · July 28, 2016

Gonzalo Higuain didn't say bye before

Juventus move - Napoli boss Sarri

say-bye-before-juventus-move-napoli-boss-sarri