Updated at 01.44
JUVENTUS HAVE COMPLETED the signing of Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli for a fee of €90 million, Lega Serie A has confirmed.
The striker has signed a four-year deal with the Serie A champions, reportedly worth €7.5m a season, after passing a medical.
Juve are set to pay two instalments of €45m over the next two years to match the striker’s release clause, making the deal the third most expensive in world football, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s €94m switch to Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009 and Gareth Bale’s €100m move to the Spanish club four years later.
Juventus were desperate to sign a new striker following Alvaro Morata’s return to Real Madrid and they have now landed their prime target in last season’s Serie A top scorer.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a stellar 2015-16 campaign, netting 36 goals in 35 Serie A appearances to help Napoli to second place in the Serie A table.
Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri said on Tuesday that he was not concerned by the staggering sums of money involved.
“I am not the one who decides how much someone costs,” he said following his side’s 2-1 International Champions Cup win over Tottenham.
The market decides transfer fees. Some players might be worth more, others less. But that’s the law of the market. It’s not restricted to football.”
Higuain becomes Juventus’ fifth signing of the close season after the captures of Miralem Pjanic, Marko Pjaca, Medhi Benatia and Dani Alves in moves set to be funded by the sale of star midfielder Paul Pogba.
Napoli are reportedly in talks with Inter over the prospect of signing Mauro Icardi as Higuain’s replacement.
Worse value for money than pogba, he’s 29 in December… Football is gone mad
If higuin is 90€ mill then what are you eorth jon??
Priceless.
If you want to look at it realistically when they sell Pogba to United then Higuain will cost them nothing as they initially got Pogba for close to nothing.
Well no. They could still sell Pogba and, you know, not shell out 90 million on Higuain.
But they did…
What were madrid thinking letting him go on the cheap
They didnt , they signed him for 12M , sold him for 40M some years later , he scored 107 league goals , won 3 leagues and moved on. Since he went he has become the franchise player he was never gonna be in Madrid and Madrid have won two Champions Leagues . Both came out as winners.
Mad money alright. Supply and demand…lack of world class strikers driving crazy prices even higher.
The Napoli board must be jumping around the place!!!!
Supposedly replacing him with Milik and possibly Icardi… not bad business.
Madness.He’s a top player but close to 30 and for that kind of money, I’d be expecting Ronaldo/Messi numbers. Higuain has never come close to doing those kind of numbers. Bizarre signing.
With the signing of Higuain and Pjanic from league flrivals along with a couple of others that’s Serie A sewn up for a other season.
Thought there was no money in Italian football?
The Italians view players differently when it comes to age. If he plays till 37 like a lot of players in Italy he’ll he value for money
ah here, whats next? liverpool will be selling mario for 50 million?
Laughable transfer fee
That’s just confirmation the pogba’s goin to Utd.
They’re screwed if the Pogba deal falls through.
Joke…gone to fu#k
United should leave them sweating with Pogba now!
Think juventes will be fine, apparently they can pay half money now and the other half next year which is only like £35 million a year so doesn’t seem too bad once you include money for winning the league and getting far into champions league
My mortgage doesn’t sound too bad when you put it that way. Only 1200 this month, next month and on and on!!
We just need this guy, Hulk and Pogba to have a three way playoff to see whose the most overrated most expensive player of all time.
36 goals in 35 games in a league where teams know how to defend, unlike premiership and La Liga. Far from overrated
While his record last season in domestic football was sensational, the dude is ultimately a choker – he’s proved it in three major tournament finals in the last two years.
Napoli could probably buy another three or four Higuains with 90 million. De Laurentiis must be plsslng himself.
He is an average player playing in an average league
Im a fan of Higuain but that is just radicals money, especially when you consider he is almost 30! Pogba is also insane but he is still just 23!
Mad money for a 28 year old.