Juventus rejects Napoli's loan bid for Gatti
Napoli offered a loan with an option to buy for the Juventus centre-back this summer, but Juventus said no and refused to negotiate at all.
Federico Gatti is staying at Juventus. Napoli made a concrete move for the centre-back, putting forward a loan with an option to buy. Juventus blocked it outright, rejecting the deal without opening talks.
Juventus's thinking was straightforward. Losing Gatti, even on loan, would have exposed their defence and complicated other moves in that department. Turin chose stability over a loan exit, option to buy or not.
Read also Como top alone on 7 points after thrashing Genoa 4-1
The story emerges three days after the summer window shut — it closed on Tuesday 1 September at 20:00 CET — and right as Allegri's defence deals with the absences of Alessandro Buongiorno and Luca Marianucci, both sidelined through injury. Learning only now that a centre-back like Gatti was targeted and missed out stings more with two defenders unavailable on the eve of Inter-Napoli.
The structure of the deal is worth a second look: a loan with an option to buy would still have left Juventus with the final say on Gatti's future, which may be why Turin saw no need to negotiate. To strengthen the defence, Napoli will have to wait until 2 January, when the winter window reopens. Until then, outside that window, they can only sign players who are free agents.
Source: Spazio Napoli
Leggi questa notizia in italiano →
Related
Napoli face champions Inter, Scudetto winners in Chivu's first season
Italian press zeroes in on Allegri's puzzle before Inter
Napoli's window closes €47.5m in the red without new signings
