Juventus Director of Football Strategy Giorgio Chiellini confirms that the Youssef En-Nesyri deal is dead in the water.
The Bianconeri accelerated their attempts to bring in a centre-forward over the last week or so. They initially targeted Jean-Philippe Mateta but couldn’t find an agreement with Crystal Palace.
On the contrary, Juventus sporting director, Marco Ottolini, managed to strike a swift deal with Fenerbahce for En-Nesyri during his visit to Istanbul, but it was the player who thwarted the move.
While many thought it was a done deal, doubts began to creep in on Saturday, when it was revealed the Moroccan striker wasn’t sure about the move.
Some reports suggested that the 28-year-old was biding his time while waiting for an offer from his previous employers, Sevilla, who expressed their desire to bring him back to Andalusia.
Ahead of Juve’s 3-0 victory over Napoli on Saturday, Chiellini spoke to the press at the usual, and he was naturally asked to provide updates on En-Nesyri.
The legendary defender didn’t attempt to beat around the bush, but instead mourned the whole operation.
(Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Chiellini explained that the parties couldn’t agree on the formula, as the striker wanted a permanent transfer, while Juventus were only interested in acquiring his services on a temporary basis with an option to buy.
“The player has expressed doubts about the formula,” said the 41-year-old in his pre-match interview with Sky Sport Italia via IlBianconero.
“For us, at this moment, the negotiation is closed. We don’t want to buy him outright. We’ll see if opportunities arise and we’ll stay alert, but as of today, for us, it is over.”
Now that they’ve missed out on Mateta and En-Nesyri, it remains to be seen who will be the next centre-forward targeted by Juventus.
With Jonathan David gradually hitting his stride, one might think Luciano Spalletti would be happy to keep his attacking department intact. However, the manager once again insisted that the club needs a big No.9 capable of holding the ball.
Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee has been mentioned as a potential option, but it remains to be seen whether he fits Spalletti’s description.
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