De Laurentiis: 'Juventus are not going to trigger Higuain's release clause'
“Juventus are a classy club, they’ve never wanted to pay the release clause. There has never been a real contact between us because Juventus don’t want to trigger the player’s release clause which is also what Marotta [Juventus’ CEO] told me this morning.”
“The world of football is plenty of ignorance. Higuain has still two years left of his five-year deal with Napoli. There is also a release clause. If someone arrives saying ‘I am going to pay € 97 million for Higuain’ and if the player wants to join them, we’d be happy to meet his request.”
“However, we’ve received no offers so far, nor Higuain has asked to leave. I don’t want to sell him, that’s why his release clause is so high. Juventus are smart. They know they can’t do such an injustice. They’ve been winning titles for decades, they know they’d become a very unpleasant club if they meet the player’s release clause.”
“We are only talking to players not with their agents. Higuain is still on holiday and we are waiting for him in Dimaro on the 25th of July, I have yet to talk to him but I am going to greet him once he arrives at the training ground. Juventus are not going to disturb us.”
“Marotta told me he’s not even thinking about paying the player’s release clause. We are not going to sign Pereyra and Zaza. We have plenty of strikers and we don’t want problems in the changing room. The transfer window has just begun we have plenty of time”
2.00 CET - According to Sky Italia Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has informed Juventus that Higuain is not going to leave Napoli unless the Old Lady pays the player's € 94 million release fee. The Serie A champions had tried to include Roberto Pereyra or Daniele Rugani in a player-plsu-cash swap deal.
1.25pm CET: the agent of the former Real Madrid man has confirmed to be in talks with the bianconeri, but has denied to have already reached an agreement
1.20 pm CET: Juventus Chief Executive Giuseppe Marotta and his right hand Fabio Paratici arrived in Milan, as well as Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis
Today’s meeting of the Serie A league in Milan, could be a chance for Juventus to try to convince Napoli to let the Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain leave. The azzurri’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis will confirm to the Piedmont’s club CEO Giuseppe Marotta that he has no intention to negotiate: if the bianconeri want the 28-year-old, they will have to pay his €94,7m release clause.
M.G.
