You stay, you stay, you… no. Thiago Motta hasn’t set foot at Continassa yet, but he already has the Juventus of the future in his head. He speaks daily with the technical director Cristiano Giuntoli, discussing with him and welcoming market updates. After Di Gregorio in goal and Douglas Luiz, he is waiting for Khephren Thuram, another essential piece in the midfield reconstruction project. But Juve is also making great progress when it comes to going out. And Thiago knows well how purchases from now on will depend a lot on sales. In this sense, the new Juventus coach has already issued a list of seven names that he considers out of the project, to be added to others who will be sold anyway, due to cash needs or convenient offers. Players who, even if they are still owned by Juve in July when the team meets to prepare for the season, will nevertheless be considered redundant people who need to be accommodated, allowing for a fair saving on wages, as well as revenue for cards. How much money are we talking about? The market will decide on the valuations, but on the salaries we can hazard an estimate: over 30 million gross.
The seven
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Virtually out of pink? We’ll see, even if they are unlikely to take part in the retreat with the rest of their teammates. The first on the list is Moise Kean, about to move to Fiorentina. One out, the malicious would say. And in Juve’s coffers 13 million euros plus 5 of any bonuses. The center forward then still had one year left on his contract at 2.5 million net. But he is not the only attacker too many. Motta also considers Arek Milik redundant. The Pole, who missed the European Championship due to injury, is considered not very “fresh” and therefore not very useful to the cause. Placing him would mean saving around 6 million in gross salary, to stay low. The failure to transfer to Aston Villa will not change Weston McKennie’s future: the American is out of the project, despite the year left on his contract with Juve. Like him also Mattia De Sciglio and Filip Kostic. The surprise, however, bears the name of Daniele Rugani. The central defender, fresh from his marriage to Michela Persico, renewed (downwards) with the Lady just over a month ago. Yet, for Thiago he is not to be considered in the team group. The last of the purged is a returning horse: Arthur. The Brazilian, who returns from his loan at Fiorentina, will not have a new chance with the Bianconeri. And considering the gross salary of over 7 million, placing him elsewhere would be a lot.
The others
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Juve’s outgoing market, however, will not be reduced to these seven, which alone would lower the wage bill by over 30 million, obviously not counting the new incoming salaries. A big player like Wojciech Szczesny, for example, has been close to Al Nassr for some time and the feeling is that the deal will happen sooner or later. Juve will receive relatively little for the price tag (4 million?), but the savings on wages are even in double figures (around 12 million). Alex Sandro has already said goodbye (with his 12 gross salary), as have Barrenechea, Iling Junior and Kaio Jorge. The next one, as mentioned, will be Kean. But cash needs suggest the departure of Dean Huijsen, in which in addition to the English (Newcastle) and Germans (Dortmund and Leverkusen), there is interest from PSG.
Church and Soulé
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The two most complex situations, besides obviously that of Adrien Rabiot (the Frenchman has Juve’s offer on the table, but will take his time at least until the end of the adventure at the European Championship), are those of Federico Chiesa and Matias Soulé. Enrico’s son has a contract expiring in 2025 and negotiations for the extension are on hold. Without an agreement, it is easier to sell than to stay. Motta likes the Argentine a lot, but in the event of offers of a certain level (currently 40 million, later maybe even less…) it would be complicated to say no. Also to finance an incoming market that has just begun: Koopmeiners, Greenwood and others are waiting.
