UOL Esporte in Brazil claim Santos striker Kaio Jorge has already signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus, valid from January 2022, cutting Milan and Benfica out.
The 19-year-old’s contract with Santos only runs to December 31, 2021, so he is technically able to negotiate with other clubs.
Milan had approached him and his club several weeks ago, agreeing personal terms and offering circa €3m for his transfer fee.
That is considerably less than the €10m Santos were asking for.
However, UOL Esporte go one further, insisting that today Kaio Jorge signed a pre-contract agreement with Juventus that will be valid from January 2022.
That means he can join them as a free agent and will reject all other options, including Milan and Benfica.
The Portuguese side had gone a different way, approaching Santos with an offer of cash plus Gilberto to reach the €10m fee.
It seems as if Juve have not just intercepted Milan’s talks, but blown straight past them to get a pre-contract agreement with the Brazilian striker.
The report also states that Juve are ready to negotiate a small fee to get Kaio Jorge immediately, as they now hold all the cards with a signed pre-contract agreement.
Kaio Jorge acerta com Juventus e deixa Santos em janeiro https://t.co/gClyNhy7hz
— UOL (@UOL) July 26, 2021