After falling short in their initial attempt, Juventus remain hellbent on securing an agreement with Crystal Palace for Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Bianconeri are keen to land a new centre-forward before the end of the month, and have identified the Frenchman as the best available option.
The Serie A giants launched their opening bid over the weekend, offering €2 million for a six-month loan plus an obligation to buy for €28 million linked to European qualification.
However, the Eagles decided to turn down the offer, insisting on their €40 million valuation.
According to Tuttosport, Juventus will try again for Mateta, as they look to close the deal in the next 48 hours.
The Turin-based newspaper claims that the Bianconeri have already found an agreement with the player on a four-year deal.
The Old Lady is thus hoping to have the French striker at Luciano Spalletti’s disposal ahead of the big weekend clash against Napoli.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Tuttosport believes that the two clubs could reach a compromise in the region of €35 million. Hence, an improved offer from Juventus should unblock the operation.
However, La Gazzetta dello Sport is less optimistic about Juve’s chances of landing Mateta, and this is not only due to Palace’s requests.
The pink newspaper reports that the player’s agents are requesting sizable commissions for their part in the negotiations.
While these figures aren’t unattainable, it remains to be seen if Juventus CEO Damien Comolli is willing to pay this ransom or simply instruct the club’s sporting director, Marco Ottolini, to move towards other profiles.
In the meantime, Spalletti will continue to rely on Jonathan David and Lois Openda upfront while awaiting Dusan Vlahovic’s return from injury.
The Serbian could remain on the sidelines until mid-March, and he’s also expected to leave the club once his contract expires in June.
The post Juventus ready to raise their offer for Mateta but they face another hurdle appeared first on Juvefc.com.
