Gonzalo Higuain has all-but completed his move from Juventus to Napoli in a deal worth €90m, with the latter to receive two separate payments over the next year.
The Argentine international scored a stunning tally of 36 goals in 35 Serie A appearances last season, ensuring that Napoli remained in the hunt for the Scudetto until the final few weeks of the campaign.
However, he has infuriated the club’s supporters with his decision to move to their bitter rivals, with Sky Sport Italia expert Gianluca Di Marzio confirming on Tuesday that only an official announcement was missing.
The Bianconeri reportedly deposited the player’s contract with Lega Calcio officials, with Higuain earning €7.5m plus image rights over the next four years.
As for the transfer fee, it would have been €94.7m, as noted in the release clause in the 28-year-old’s contract with Napoli, but an agreement is in place to make two payments, one now and another next summer which total €90m.
In turn, Juve have now added a piece that they believe will make the difference for them in terms of not only continuing their domestic domination, but also boost their bid to conquer the Champions League.
It’s certainly a blow for Serie A in the sense that they’ve now taken two pivotal players from two direct rivals in the form of Higuain from Napoli and Miralem Pjanic from Roma in one summer.
As a result, few will doubt their ability to make it six consecutive Scudetti, and while that will naturally now be the minimum requirement, they will also harbour ambitions of ending their wait for success in Europe.
Higuain’s decision has unsurprisingly not gone down well in Naples, with supporters idolising the Argentine as he looked to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Diego Maradona.
In his defence, he gave everything he could for the club last season and still came up short, and so from his perspective, a desire to win trophies and earn significant money can’t be questioned.