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Juventus and PSG's Cold War
As we predicted a few months ago, the Bianconeri’s approach for Nanitamo Jonatan Ikone has opened another rift between the two clubs. Yesterday, it looked like the Old Lady had convinced the youngster to join the Turinese outfit, only for PSG to make a final counter-offer which could have swung the 18-year-old.
Despite PSG’s reaction, France is up in arms about what they call the ‘braconnage’ (poaching) of the country’s young talent from foreign clubs, with the Bianconeri themselves earning a lot of flak for their signing Kingsley Coman (also a PSG youth) recently.
Until recently, Juventus had simply scouted Ikone (for a number of months, it must be said) and kept him on standby, the idea being that they wanted to sign Edinson Cavani, and didn’t want to antagonize the Parisians.
It finally looked like the Uruguayan had succeeded in convincing PSG to let him go at the right price, before the Parisians tried to convince him to stay with the offer of a contract extension.
This is when Juve made their move… and likely helped heat up a cold war that has been going on for a while. PSG had never appreciated Juventus’ pursuit of Adrien Rabiot, by getting in with his mother, Veronique. The Coman deal only made things worse, prompting PSG to refuse to consider the Old Lady’s winter offer for Marquinhos.
Though things would be different in Ezequiel Lavezzi’s case, PSG have generally refused to co-operate with Juventus, barging in to take Rosario Lo Celso, threatening to do the same with Gabriel Jesus and even making a last-minute offer for Daniel Alves.
What’s worse is that this has compromised the Parisians’ chance to sign both Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata.
The message seems to be: You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
Who’ll scratch first?
@NicolaBalice, translated by @EdoDalmonte
