Juventus Transfer Market: The High-Profile Free Agent Deal Falls Through. Spalletti, What Now?

Following the recent injuries to Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram, Juventus has been giving serious thought to signing a free agent to bolster the quality of the midfield available to Luciano Spalletti. Among the names linked to the Turin club was that of former Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, who would have been a true “luxury” free agent, given the Croatian’s experience and skills.

But this opportunity has fallen through: according to the latest reports, the former Al-Nassr player—who has been a free agent since last June after spending the past few seasons playing for Cristiano Ronaldo’s team—has finally found a new club. This was reported by the Arab news agency Winwin.

The 1992-born player will move to Qatar: according to rumors, the player’s agents are in advanced negotiations with Al-Sadd. Brozovic has expressed interest in the Qatari club, and the details of the contract are now being discussed. The former Croatian international played for eight seasons at Inter, scoring 25 goals in 261 Serie A matches and winning the 2021 Scudetto.

The Old Lady is now figuring out how to handle the midfield: Manuel Locatelli will be out for six months, and this absence, combined with Thuram’s injury, is severely complicating Spalletti’s plans. “I’m devastated,” Locatelli wrote on Instagram. I finished the game the other night and never expected to be hit with all of this the next morning. The surgery went well, and that’s very important. Now I’ll have to sit out for a while, and it hurts to think I won’t be able to help my teammates or fight alongside them for this jersey. It’ll take patience, but I’ll do everything I can to come back at my best, just as I’ve always done. Life is made up of moments like these too; it’s up to us to decide how to face them: I’ll fight on as always.”