Italian football agent Vincenzo Morabito reveals why Erling Haaland didn’t join Juventus and what Fabio Paratici told him about the Bianconeri’s emerging talent Nicolò Fagioli.
The Serie A giants came close to signing Haaland in 2017 when the Norway striker even visited the club’s training facilities and watched a match at the Allianz Stadium wearing a hat of the Old Lady.
Morabito was one of the intermediaries working to finalise the deal, which eventually collapsed. Haaland was playing for Molde at that time.
“It was all done, but there was a question that called everything: ‘Where will he go?'”, Morabito told Calciomercato.it.
Juventus director Federico Cherubini revealed last year that the Serie A giants had offered Haaland to join their U23 team playing in Italy’s third division to help in settle in Italian football.
Morabito confirmed that the issue was to find a team where Haaland would develop although, in the end, “Beppe Marotta thought he was too expensive so he said no.”
Marotta and Paratici were working side by side at the Allianz Stadium and had signed an exciting prospect from Piacenza a few years earlier: Nicolò Fagioli.
“Paratici discovered him and told me that he would have gone far,” added Morabito.
Fagioli scored his first Juventus goal away at Lecce last week, helping the Bianconeri seal a crucial 1-0 victory.
Mediocre Marotta reminds me of my stingy uncle. I really hate this guy after he let Verratti slip away to PSG.
Wow, what a “professionals”… even complete amateur like me knew than Haaland is special, those overpayed “experts” wanted him in U-23. That’s pathetic, really.
still continues the same story, cant produce youth
Oh will, so be it mate!
It’s not that they can’t produce youth. Some of you guys still don’t understand the Italian football mentality.
They believe a player needs to be older to play i the First Team. As Allegri said a few months ago, play in the lower leagues and do your Apprenticeship there. Earn a spot.
Other nations will take a chance on youth if they show promise. Italy rarely does.
Italian teams are not run properly. Their decision makers are old-school guys with an outdated model of thinking. We need fresh minds to propel us back to the top.