The Dramatic Twist That Could See Youssef En-Nesyri Join Juventus After All
Youssef En-Nesyri's Al-Ittihad move has fallen through, handing Juventus a reprieve ahead of the summer transfer window.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Updated on 03 February 2026
Youssef En-Nesyri will not be joining Al-Ittihad this month, which gives Juventus a reprieve in the pursuit of the Fenerbahce striker.
Juventus wanted En-Nesyri in January and worked hard to make a deal happen, but they couldn’t get over the line.
While Juventus agreed to a loan move with Fenerbahce worth €5m with an option-to-buy included, En-Nesyri decided against the loan switch.
However, En-Nesyri will now have a number of months to reconsider his options after a move to Al-Ittihad fell through.
Youssef En-Nesyri’s Al-Ittihad move collapses: What happened
Youssef En-Nesyri had agreed a move to Al-Ittihad, while Fenerbahce had also struck a deal with the Saudi club.
However, an administrative error at the Al-Ittihad end has led to the En-Nesyri move falling through, the Turkish club said in a statement.
Indeed, Fenerbahce were also in the process of signing N’Golo Kante, but he too must stay put at his current team.
KAMUOYUNA BİLGİLENDİRME
Al Ittihad Kulübü ile N’Golo Kanté ve Youssef En-Nesyri’yi kapsayan transfer süreci, kulübümüz tarafından planlandığı şekilde ve tüm yönleriyle titizlikle yürütülmüştür.
Teknik heyetimizin talebi doğrultusunda ilerleyen bu süreçte oyuncularla anlaşma… pic.twitter.com/rRZ1ORgXCZ
— Fenerbahçe SK (@Fenerbahce) February 3, 2026
Fener said they had uploaded all required documents correctly and on time into FIFA’s Transfer Matching System.
They also medical clearance and completed their share of the registration process.
The transfer stalled when Al-Ittihad entered incorrect information into the system and failed to correct it before the deadline, said Fener.
They sought deadline extensions and held discussions with FIFA in an attempt to salvage the move, but received no resolution or justification from the opposing club.
With time expiring, both Kante’s arrival and En-Nesyri’s departure fell through, added the Turkish club.
It remains to be seen whether Fenerbahce will want to deal with Al-Ittihad again after seemingly blaming them for the transfer mishap.
Meanwhile, Juventus will surely have been monitoring proceedings with a view to the summer transfer window.
Why Youssef En-Nesyri rejected Juventus move
Youssef En-Nesyri was close to joining Juventus, but in the end, his stance did not coincide with that of the Bianconeri.
“The situation is pretty clear,” Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini told Sky Sport Italia.
“We went to speak to the player, he expressed a few doubts on the formula of the transfer, so for us right now the negotiations are over.
“We cannot and do not want to buy him outright.
“We’ll see over the next few days if there are any developments or other opportunities, but for us it is over.”
There have certainly been developments on the En-Nesyri front – or more appropriately, a lack of developments. He remains at Fenerbahce.
Over the next few months, there may yet be more twists and turns that could potentially lead to En-Nesyri joining Juventus.
Giuseppe Labellarte
Giuseppe Labellarte is a sports journalist with over a decade of professional experience in the industry. His main professional expertise is in soccer. Prior to joining FootItalia, he worked for the likes of Sports Mole, TBR Football, the Chelsea Chronicle and numerous other sites, along with having bylines in the likes of the Nottingham Post. He holds degrees in Journalism and International Relations.
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