There are numerous questions being asked after Juventus sold Stefano Sturaro for €18m, making him the most expensive Genoa signing ever.
The statement from Juve on January 24 confirmed had loaned the midfielder to Genoa until June 2019 at a cost of €1.5m, with obligation to buy at certain conditions for €8.5m plus another possible €8m in various bonuses.
There are numerous questions being asked after Juventus sold Stefano Sturaro for €18m, making him the most expensive Genoa signing ever.
The statement from Juve on January 24 confirmed had loaned the midfielder to Genoa until June 2019 at a cost of €1.5m, with obligation to buy at certain conditions for €8.5m plus another possible €8m in various bonuses.
However, a new version was released today, stating that “following the achievement of the conditions provided by the contract, the obligation for the definitive acquisition of the registration rights of the player Stefano Sturaro by Genoa Cricket & Football Club S.p.A. became due for a consideration of € 16.5 million to be paid in four financial years.”
This makes Sturaro the most expensive ever signing by Genoa, who are the oldest professional football club in Italy, as €16.5m plus the €1.5m for the six-month loan takes the total cost to €18m.
It is also a profit of over €12m for Juventus.
It’s not clear what the ‘conditions provided by the contract’ were to suddenly activate the clause, as Sturaro has not played since August due to a torn Achilles tendon.
He was included in the Genoa squad against Empoli and Sassuolo, but remained on the bench.
According to Calciomercato.com, the conditions to turn the move from option to obligation were as simple as Genoa picking up their first point after his transfer.
At the same time, Juventus seem to have a similar deal in place with Genoa for the Turin giants to activate the loan into an obligation to buy for Luca Zanimacchia, who is currently playing for the Juventus Under-23 side in Serie C.
Genoa President Enrico Preziosi’s rather complex web of transfers over the years already raised eyebrows.
Exchanging players between clubs at vastly inflated prices is the reason Chievo started this season with a three-point penalty.
They had swapped several players with Cesena, who went bankrupt last summer.