Juventus Transfer Market: Another Step Forward in the Race for Kessie; A Midfielder Is Out
Fabio Miretti is getting closer and closer to leaving Juventus, and his departure could help move the Kessié deal forward. The midfielder, who came up through the Juventus youth system, is being targeted by Besiktas, which has been in talks with Juventus management for days. On the table is the possibility of a loan with an option to buy, for a total value of around 10–12 million euros.
Miretti, fresh off a loan spell at Genoa and aware that he’s unlikely to see much playing time this upcoming season either, has reportedly expressed his willingness to transfer, though he would prefer a permanent move. His departure would represent a first step toward Franck Kessié’s arrival at Continassa. Spalletti would, in fact, like to add a physical and dynamic player to the midfield, one capable of rotating with Thuram. To further facilitate the deal, the departure of Koopmeiners might be necessary; at the Stirpe, he was only brought on in the 79th minute.
The main driving force behind the deal is Vincenzo Italiano, the Besiktas coach who knows and appreciates the Juventus midfielder and had already tried to bring him to Turkey in recent weeks. The Italiano factor may have played a decisive role in Miretti’s decision; in Turkey, he would also be reunited with Dusan Vlahovic, who has just joined Besiktas following the end of his stint at Juventus: The two shared the Juventus locker room for several seasons and could return to playing together, this time in the Turkish league.
As for Kessié, an agreement with Juventus is reportedly already in place: talks are of a three-year contract worth 4.5 million euros per season with a signing bonus. What has complicated the deal is the pressure from Al-Ittihad, which has offered a much more lucrative contract to keep the Ivorian in Saudi Arabia. Despite the Saudi club’s enticements, however, Kessié seems set on returning to Serie A and joining Juventus, a move that would allow him to return to the highest level of European soccer.
The alternatives to Kessié that the Juventus management had evaluated in recent weeks were Pierre-Emile Højbjerg of Marseille—who had already turned down an offer from the Premier League—and Marcelo Brozović, a free agent following the end of his stint at Al-Nassr. The Croatian, who has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Spalletti since their time together at Inter, had said he was ready to return to Europe, but the Kessié option remained at the top of Juventus’ list of preferences.
