Juventus May Regret Loaning Gonzalo Higuain to AC Milan
Cristiano Ronaldo made a shock move to Turin this summer in a mouthwatering deal but, ever since this deal materialized, Gonzalo Higuain’s future looked so uncertain. And now he has completed a move to Serie A rivals AC Milan in an initial loan deal.
Sources around the club suggest that Juventus decided to offload Higuain in order to avoid a clash of egos between Ronaldo and the Argentine striker. Balancing the books has been pointed as another reason why Higuain had to be let go.
Higuain has been the main man for Juventus since he was signed in the summer of 2016. In each of the two seasons he played for Juventus, he was the highest goal scorer.
Ronaldo Needs Higuain
Ronaldo definitely guarantees goals and this is one of the main reasons why Higuain was offloaded in order to accommodate the Portuguese superstar.
But the truth is that Ronaldo cannot bear the goalscoring burden alone. He could complement Higuain rather than replace him.
Throughout Ronaldo's career, he has never been a focal point striker. He always played alongside a striker most of the time. At Manchester United, he had Wayne Rooney. At Real Madrid, there was Karim Benzema - who sacrificed a lot for the Portuguese star.
In essence, he needs a quality striker to work with at Juventus.
Also read: What is Cristiano Ronaldo's Best Position at Juventus?
Mandukic is not as prolific as Higuain
If Mario Mandzukic comes to your mind, it must be noted that the Croatian striker is not as lethal as Higuain. Mandzukic played on the wing for Juventus almost throughout his career because Higuain was the better choice up front.
Croatia had a decent World Cup and Mandzukic played a huge role with his goal scoring exploits but the World Cup is just a one-month campaign, unlike the Serie A.
Champions League could elude Juventus yet again
Juventus is a team looking to win the Champions League, having lost out in the final on seven occasions - more than any other European team. They have been close a few times in recent years but they have been somehow short of quality in Europe in the last two finals.
With Higuain, they possessed a lethal striker who could combine with Ronaldo and lead them to glory. Having both players in the team could just be what they needed to win Europe's most coveted trophy - a trophy they last won in 1996!
Financial impact
Higuain was signed for a mammoth £75.3m in 2016 and, in just two years, Milan signed the 30-year-old on an initial one-year loan deal worth a reported £16 million that gives them the option to buy the striker next summer for a further £32 million.
In all, Juventus are likely to make about £48 million should AC Milan choose to purchase him after the loan deal. That is about £27 million less than his value in 2016.
If Milan choose not to purchase the prolific Argentine, It is hard to see how Juventus can make as much as £32 million on him next year when he will be 31 years old.
Although a lot has been said about a seemingly unhealthy partnership between Higuain and Ronaldo, making reference to their time in Real Madrid, but the truth is with a fitting system, both parties can just have a perfect partnership.
Massimiliano Allegri has proved to be just that type of manager who can make it work perfectly. Juventus may just wish Higuain never left.