On Tuesday, TuttoSport were confident that Juventus would soon land Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The player agreed personal terms with the Bianconeri, with Juve having spoken to the Eagles on Monday to reach an agreement. The gap between the two was minor and the Old Lady wanted it done by Thursday.
That was still in the works but the Turin newspaper seemed certain that as days pass, the London club would be forced to sell Mateta.
The stance in Italy about the France international has now quickly changed.
Gazzetta dello Sport report that ‘as the days pass, the deal becomes more complicated’. This is because talks between Juve and Crystal Palace have stalled.
Oliver Glasner’s side want €40m in the total package and the asking price has risen because of Marc Guehi’s sale to Manchester City.
The London club don’t want to lose another key player in the same month. Besides, they do not feel the financial need to sell their star striker due to the Englishman’s departure. Despite the agreement over personal terms, Mateta is now unlikely to join the Italian side.
The commission demand of the 28-year-old’s entourage is also providing to be a roadblock for the Bianconeri. That is why Fenerbahce’s Youssef En-Nesyri is emerging as a key striker target.
The Morocco international wants regular football and he isn’t getting that at the Turkish club. Fenerbahce’s asking price for En-Nesyri is less than what Crystal Palace want for Mateta. This is proving key for Luciano Spalletti’s side, with Fener also open to an initial loan deal.