La Gazzetta dello Sport outline how the Cristiano Giuntoli era is about to begin at Juventus and what their summer transfer window could look like. The Napoli sporting director is expected to leave the Partenopei this week before taking over the reins in Turin, and La Gazzetta offer their thoughts on what his first mercato will look like.
The newspaper outline how Giuntoli has waived some monthly salaries and the Scudetto bonus-a total of €4 million gross in order to make the move to Turin: ‘The diplomatic work has borne fruit (barring sensational twists and turns): at Continassa they are convinced that they will be able to welcome the Tuscan manager very soon.’
The new sporting director will have a five-year contract and a ‘commitment to make the Juventus team competitive right away.’ Gazzetta write:
First, however, he must contain costs. That’s why the initial weeks will be devoted to slimming down the roster and trying to seize the best deals for outgoing talent. The prominent name is that of Dusan Vlahovic, who attracts the attention of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Who offers the most?
Meanwhile, Giuntoli is weaving a web to identify his replacement. At the top of the list is Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund, an up-and-coming forward from Atalanta. Juve had immediately set its sights on him and (coincidentally) Napoli had also been among the first clubs to get active. It does not promise to be an easy negotiation, considering that Premier League clubs are also active on Hojlund. It is equally true, however, that Elkann expects to see at the new starting signs of a Juve that can fight for the Scudetto, considering that the European scenario at the moment is more than uncertain. There’s interest in Castagne, another player who came to prominence at Atalanta and is now with Leicester, and he must be factored in.
While waiting for Giuntoli, Juventus has already scored two deals: George’s son Weah Junior, who will be in Turin this evening and will undergo medical examinations tomorrow, and the renewal of Adrien Rabiot, announced yesterday by the club’s official channels.
Behind the French midfielder’s decision to stay on for another year earning the same amount as his old contract (€7 million plus bonuses) is a great deal of work by the Bianconeri’s market team, led by DS Giovanni Manna, who in the last week has been negotiating nonstop with Rabiot’s mother-agent, Veronique.
On the former Psg man’s trail were Bayern and Manchester United, the same club that had tempted him a summer ago, when the transfer skipped in the final phase. This time, dialogue with the English club stalled at the first stumbling block: Mum’s request, a three-year €10 million net per season plus another €10 million in signing bonuses, was deemed excessive and contacts between the parties immediately broke down. Not least because Rabiot wanted Juventus, where he is doing very well and where he has become a staple of his great sponsor Allegri. The Bianconeri had been informed of United’s inclusion, but they kept their optimism intact, stemming from the word given by the player but also from the fact that the negotiations were at a very advanced stage.
Rabiot arrived at Juventus in 2019 on a free transfer and after a couple of colorless and inconsistent seasons exploded with Allegri, especially in 2022-23. To have convinced him to renew is a great success for Juve and also a major saving, because thanks to the Growth Decree the club will be able to have significant tax savings on his salary and will not have to invest in another midfielder, who would have cost at least €40-50 million plus salary, perhaps lower but without the benefits of the Growth Decree.
