Newcastle United and Wolves could be in luck with Juventus mulling over the prospect of terminating Gonzalo Higuain’s £85,000-a-week contract, according to Tuttosport.
It is not every year that one of the most prolific goalscorers in European football is available for absolutely nothing.
But this is a strange old summer for many reasons.
Juventus’s transfer plans have been hit hard by an ongoing financial crisis and, with the Serie A champions looking to finance a £35 milllion deal for Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik, they may be forced to bid farewell to another top-class number nine.
As Tuttosport points out, Higuain is one of Juventus’s highest earners, taking home £4.5 million-a-year plus bonuses.
As a result, sporting director Fabio Paratici could look to cancel the contract of a former Real Madrid striker 11 months before the expiration date, freeing up funds to bring Poland international Milik to Turin.
Wolves and Newcastle will most certainly be watching the situation closely.
The Express reported in May that a pair of Premier League clubs are weighing up an ambitious bid for the 32-year-old Argentina international.
TuttoJuve backed up those claims, suggesting that Wolves would offer Higuain a three-year contract worth £80,000-a-week.
As it stands, however, neither Wolves nor Newcastle are in a position of strength.
When the Magpies were first linked with Higuain, it seemed only a matter of time before that Saudi Arabian takeover was completed. Two months on, Mike Ashley is still at the helm and, as Alan Shearer says, Steve Bruce ‘doesn’t know whether he will be shopping in Lidl or Harrods’.
Wolves, meanwhile, will miss out on the Europa League if Arsenal beat Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final – a major step backwards for a club who are used to going in one direction.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
