Juventus Choose Youssef En-Nesyri Over Jean-Philippe Mateta With Deal Close
The Turin side were forced to switch their attention away from Mateta.
Juventus are in pole position in the race for Youssef En-Nesyri, with a deal now close to completion.
Juventus Choose Youssef En-Nesyri Over Jean-Philippe Mateta
Despite Juve’s Jean-Philippe Mateta interest, they are now prioritising En-Nesyri, who will leave Fenerbahce.
The Moroccan frontman was first offered to the Serie A club a week ago, and negotiations have since stepped up. Further advanced talks were pencilled in for this week, with an agreement likely imminent.
En-Nesyri has only recently returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and will soon decide on his future. Multiple potential suitors have kept a keen eye on his situation in recent weeks, including Napoli.
The Old Lady switched their attention to the 28-year-old after they failed to reach a compromise with Crystal Palace over Mateta. A gap remains between both parties, despite the striker being keen to move to Turin.
As a result, Juventus are pushing for En-Nesyri, forcing Mateta to look elsewhere.
According to journalist Romeo Agresti, a meeting between the player’s entourage and Fenerbahce was scheduled for Wednesday. There, the approach from the Bianconeri would be discussed.
The Turkish outfit will let him leave, with a sale to free up space and cut their wage bill.
Crucially, En-Nesyri has indicated his preference is to join Juventus, although the deal’s specifics have not yet been rubberstamped. His salary demands are also unclear.
Napoli Could Gazump Juventus Deal
As per Calciomercato, Juventus have accelerated their interest because they are not the only club circling for the former Sevilla ace. Indeed, Napoli have also made a move, despite their Turin rivals holding the advantage.
First, the Naples side must sell Lorenzo Lucca before bringing in a striker, with financial restrictions affecting their ability to do business. Lucca has not decided on his next destination, slowing down their pursuit of En-Nesyri.
That has allowed Juventus a free run, with upcoming talks expected to be a mere formality. At present, the striker looks bound for the Allianz Stadium, potentially on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.
En-Nesyri is tied down under contract in Istanbul until June 2029, and earns approximately €8million per season.
He has scored eight goals from his 25 appearances this campaign, seven of which have come in the Super Lig.
A further strike wrapped up an aggregate thumping of Feyenoord in the Champions League third qualifying round, before they were knocked into the Europa League after losing 1-0 to Benfica across two legs.
Dan Davis
Dan is an experienced sports journalist and part-time lecturer. An expert on Serie A and Italian football, he has produced content for the likes of the Daily Mail, Reach PLC, GiveMeSport, FourFourTwo and GRV Media. While Channel 4's iconic Football Italia was a bit before his time, the nostalgia - and pastries - fuelled his love of all things Calcio.
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