Juventus Transfer News Roundup: Bianconeri initiate contact with Cristiano Ronaldo's ex-teammate, star striker's agent denies Juve links, and more — 11th September 2020
With the new Serie A season is set to start on Sunday, Juventus' summer business is beginning to take shape. Andrea Pirlo's men have begun the process trimming the squad, with several high profile departures in the pipeline at the Allianz Stadium. On the other hand, the only notable incomings have been those of Weston McKennie and Dejan Kulusevski, who has returned from his loan spell at Parma.
On that note, we take a look at the latest Juventus transfer stories.
Juventus make contact with Real Madrid legend Marcelo
Juventus have been linked with a host of full-backs in the ongoing summer window, and the latest addition to this list is Real Madrid's Marcelo. The Brazilian, who is one of Los Blancos' longest-serving players, shares an excellent relationship with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo as the pair played on the same side of the pitch for a majority of their time together in the Spanish capital.
However, the claims from Spanish outlet AS also suggest that both interested clubs — Juventus and Inter — have been taken aback by Marcelo's wage demands. The full-back is set to cost them a net figure of €8m-per-season, a salary that is deemed too high for both clubs. The 32-year-old has two years left on his current contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Olivier Giroud's agent denies Juventus links
Centre-forward is another area that the Bianconeri hope to strengthen in the current window, with the likes of Edin Dzeko and Luis Suarez linked with the club in recent times. Fresh claims from Italy suggested on Thursday that Juventus are pondering a move for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud. The Chelsea man is one of the most imperious players in the air in the world, and would serve as an excellent foil to Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the wake of these claims, including a reported salary agreement of €4.5m-a-year, Juventus-based news outlet TuttoJuve have suggested that there is no truth to these rumours. The outlet contacted Giroud's agent, Michael Manuello, who gave them a clear answer regarding the Frenchman's potential move to Italy. He said;
"I haven’t read the news coming from Italy, but at the moment there are no contacts with Juventus."
The 33-year-old has only a year left on his current contract at Stamford Bridge.
Higuain close to Inter Miami move
Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is set to complete his move to MLS club Inter Miami after a rather unceremonious exit from the club. The former Real Madrid striker arrived in Turin for a then-record fee of €90m from Napoli. Despite a superb couple of seasons at the helm of Juve's attack, Higuain fell out of favour upon Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at the club.
After a couple of loan spells both home and abroad, new manager Andrea Pirlo deemed him surplus requirements at the club. The Argentine veteran is now set to complete his free transfer to Inter Miami after Juventus terminated his contract at the club. Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that it is a 'done deal' and an official announcement is imminent.
Multiple Italian reports on Juventus' interest in Kean
Widespread reports in Italy [via SportsWitness] have spoken about the Italian champions' wish to bring former prodigy Moise Kean back to the club this summer. The Everton striker, who left for England last year in a deal worth approximately €30m, is said to be keen on a summer exit after a deeply underwhelming debut campaign outside his homeland.
Juventus are in the market for a centre-forward as well as a deputy for the same as Gonzalo Higuain is reportedly on his way out of the club. Kean has been tipped as a 'hot name' for Juve this summer, and the club have initiated contact over a possible loan deal. Everton, though, are not interested in conducting a temporary arrangement and are only looking to sell him permanently should they find a replacement.
Also read: How Juventus could line up in the 2020/21 season