Juventus have used Manchester United’s purchase of Atalanta youth product Amad Diallo Traore as an example of why they should not be punished for inflated transfers and capital gains.
Juve are just one of several Italian clubs under investigation for the so-called plusvalenze – capital gains – accused of inflating the transfer values of players in exchanges to help balance the books.
It is a tactic that benefits both the clubs involved in a deal, making it look as if the assets being moved around are more valuable than they really are.
However, Juventus have fought back with their lawyers arguing the system used by the authorities to value players is deeply flawed.
Bianconeri chief Federico Cherubini even used a specific example from the recent transfer market involving Manchester United.
The deal they struck with Atalanta for striker Amad Diallo Traore was remarkable considering how little professional football he had played at the time.
The 18-year-old was purchased for €21.3m plus up to another €20m in performance-related bonuses.
He is currently on loan at Glasgow Rangers, but nobody is questioning that transfer because Cherubini insists the valuation was based on his potential.
“This explains why you cannot just look at the cold, hard numbers” when evaluating the transfer worth of a player.