- The Argentine's transfer fee will be paid over two instalments by Juventus
- Gonzalo Higuain will earn £6.3million after tax per year with the Italian club
- Napoli have had a bid for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi rejected
Juventus have signed Gonzalo Higuain in a £76m five-year deal after triggering his release clause with Napoli.
The transfer fee will be payed in two instalments, with the 28-year-old Argentine earning £6.3million after tax per year.
A
statement on juventus.com read: 'Juventus Football Club can today
confirm that it has purchased the registration rights of Gonzalo Higuain
for 90million euros, payable in two financial years.
Gonzalo Higuain has signed for Juventus after the club triggered his £76m release clause with Napoli
The 28-year-old will earn £6.3million annually after tax and his fee will be paid to Napoli in two instalments
'The player has agreed a five-year contract with the club.'
A
statement from Napoli read: 'Juventus Football Club has exercised the
buy-out clause for the acquisition of Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain.'
Napoli have had a bid for Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi rejected with Inter saying he is not for sale.
The
arrival of Higuain is intended to deal with the fact that Juventus have
already lost Alvaro Morata to Real Madrid this summer, with the Spanish
side activating a buy-back clause in the deal that took him to Turin in
2014.
Juventus
are also likely to lose Paul Pogba this summer. Manchester United are
expected to complete a £110m move for him before the season begins.
The
signing of Higuain does not mean that Pogba is any more likely to move
to Old Trafford. Juventus are wealthy by their own right and have funds
to spend on the striker.
Higuain's arrival will help Juventus deal with the loss of Alvaro Morata, who joined Real Madrid this summer
Napoli
club president Aurelio De Laurentiis suggested Higuain would be
betraying himself if he were to leave the club this summer.
'I
haven't spoken to the player,' De Laurentiis told reporters. 'The only
offer I've had was from the president of Atletico Madrid last month and I
told him we couldn't do anything.
'He offered €60million (£50m) plus two or three players and I said no.
'Even if Juventus were to come into the picture, they need Higuain's consent.
'Would he be betraying Napoli? It would be a much bigger betrayal of himself.
'You
don't go to the Napoli curve (hardcore fans), sing songs of love of the
club and then just go somewhere else. It would be absurd.
Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis said that Higuain would betray himself by leaving the club
'I'm not interested in his brother's [Higuain's brother and agent, Nicolas] strategy.
'The
fact that Napoli have qualified for Europe seven years running, with
dignity, is a clear indication that we are good enough.
'With us, Higuain has gone back to being what he was when he played for Real Madrid.'
