Official: Higuain to Juve

Most overrated player this decade.

Best 9 of this decade.

Firenze wrote:Quagliarella was legit, definitely underrated player with unreal technique. One of my favorite players a few years ago. Haven't foillowed him since he left Juve.

Unbelievable that 3 years ago we were all saying 35m for Higuain was ridiculous

So true, on both counts.

I loved Quags when fit for Juve.

Something about the way he played reminded me of Suarez. He wasn't the same level, but he had the drive and the tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve.

As for the inflation, the entire market's gone wonky this summer. The PL TV deal certainly has flooded the market with cash. I've seen analysis between prices in 2013 and 2016 (summers) concluding that the inflation is somewhere ~ 60%, just in that time frame.

Even though, teams like Juve aren't directly benefiting from that influx, there is a trickle down effect. If ManU buy Pogba for stupid money, then Juve's flooded with cash. So, they can go out and overspend for their top target, flooding Napoli with cash. Etc., etc...

"Show Pizza, a restaurant in Napoli is offering a promotion - a Margherita pizza for only €1 when Higuain suffers his first injury at Juve"

i don't get why napoli or juve fans should feel higuain and pogba should be so tightly attached to their clubs. the money they're getting from the deals isn't chicken change neither. i can understand napoli's gripe with him, very difficult to replace the number of goals he's gotten, and the move to the rival side, i get that. But their prayer now should be that the moneys invested wisely; that they don't do like we would do, and instead of signing a striker, sign an attacking midfielder and tell him to play cf or defensive mid.

in juve's case, there should be no cause for complain. they needed a cf anyway, and the team's looking good on paper....they've done some good business over the last couple of years. thank pogba for what he's done, and wish him luck. if you sign a player for nothing and sell him for 9 digits, over a 100 million times what you signed him for, its highly ungrateful to spew any insults at him.....besides, its not like he went to milan/inter (not a realistic scenario, i know...)

I don't really see to many Juve fans complaining about signing Higuain- some regarding the cost, but it is what it is, after missing out on so many players over the past seasons due to cost, I don't mind the cost.

Realistically, there is no better striker available this summer -> this is what people are not considering when discussing Higuain's transfer. We literally got the best #9 we could have signed and he's the best #9 since Trezeguet for the club (think about how significance that is for us). Regardless of the Higuain criticism, and I do admit a lot of it is well founded, it doesn't change the fact that, at worst, he's a top 10 #9 in the world right now.

As for Pogba, I have no issues with him. He's a super talent and an awesome player but as I've already said, we've moved on from both better players and players more important to the club than Pogba ever could be.

My only issue with Pogba is how disinterested he seems. While the Euro was on, I didn't expect him to utter a syllable regarding his future, and he did not. But the Euro has since ended and he's relaxing in Miami on vacation, again, not saying one word. Now we're two weeks away from the Premier League season, and three from Serie A... a little bit of urgency would be nice to see. I mean, Higuain basically walked to Torino to ensure his transfer was sealed - this is the kind of urgency you expect to see. Maybe it's my interpretation of the event but it seems unprofessional from Pogba, I think his own hype may have reached his head. I also don't want any player at Juventus that doesn't want to be there, so if he wants to go, I've made my peace with it and I'll always be a fan.

Which Juve fans are taking it personal or bad that Pogba is leaving?

Most of us (me included) want him to stay but no one is really crying about the prospect of getting 100mill to invest. Juve fans are much more attached to other players like Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci and Marchisio.

In Napoli its different. Higuain was a huge game changer last season. Broke the scoring record in Serie A history. Took Napoli fairly close to winning the league and then goes and Joins Juve. Juve is already despised in Naples. The animosity is too strong.

Higuain also acted like he was in love with the club and fans. And his brother/agent joined in on the anti Juve chants. Its an awful move on his part to move to Juve in the eyes of Napoli fans.

titosantill wrote:i don't get why napoli or juve fans should feel higuain and pogba should be so tightly attached to their clubs. the money they're getting from the deals isn't chicken change neither. i can understand napoli's gripe with him, very difficult to replace the number of goals he's gotten, and the move to the rival side, i get that. But their prayer now should be that the moneys invested wisely; that they don't do like we would do, and instead of signing a striker, sign an attacking midfielder and tell him to play cf or defensive mid.

in juve's case, there should be no cause for complain. they needed a cf anyway, and the team's looking good on paper....they've done some good business over the last couple of years. thank pogba for what he's done, and wish him luck. if you sign a player for nothing and sell him for 9 digits, over a 100 million times what you signed him for, its highly ungrateful to spew any insults at him.....besides, its not like he went to milan/inter (not a realistic scenario, i know...)

It's all about dat GL bragging rights.

@luca, he's a footballer, its not his priority to make statements on these things. no footballer ever does, let the guys who handle the business end speak on the matter. de gea didn't say much last season, neither did bale, and even cristiano, when he stated how he'd like to play at madrid, when ferguson and calderon got into it, he kept quiet. pogba doesn't have to say anything. the higuain move happened cos juve did the right thing, didn't waste time on negotiations, handled business, paid the cash and requested him do his presentation. if the parties involve handle business the right way, these things won't take forever....its not on the players

@rincon, once again, every footballer acts like they're in love with the club. cristiano is probably the only one i can remember who maintains the "anything can happen in the future" stance. figo before leaving barcelona, once said him and his friends (rivaldo, and some of the dutch) will never leave till they won ucl, ibra kissed the badge on presentation day, james talked about how he was a madrid fan as a kid (and some fans foolishly went gaga over that).

fans need to learn that its a business. there's such a thing as cheap pop that players will say to get fans to love them. any madrid signing that talks about raul or hierro is simply trying to appeal to fans, same as a juve signing talking about del piero, or liverpool signing praising heskey (lol i just had to do that). fans get too caught up and forget, hell, the guy just wants to play, make some money and win titles. i get the disgust from napoli fans, i really do, but higuain wasn't there for up to four years even....and the money they got? c'mon its hardly anything close to the arsenal rvp united move...where arsenal got screwed in multiple ways

so is anything less than a CL title a failure? Higuain wasn't signed for a nigh world record fee to continue the stranglehold on Serie A. Not like he was needed for that. Realistically Juve have 2-3 seasons with him at the top lvl to deliver it

Yes, we are going for CL glory, so if we don't get it over the next 2-3 years while Higgy is still around then it would be considered a failure.

At this point we have Serie A locked up for about 10 years.  Stealing your competitor's best players will accomplish that.  I'm not even looking at the league anymore.  Don't care.  It's all about the trophy with the big ears.  I want GIGI my hero to be holding that trophy up high in Wales next year with all the confetti coming down.  If that happens I can die in peace...

I mean I love Juve's optimism and everything... but unless Marchisio comes back and plays to his old level, Khedira stays injury free and somehow can play at his Germany NT level and Pjanic also steps it up, Juve aren't winning CL.

These things are won in the middle of the pitch.... something that took Madrid 12 years to figure out. You can't beat Bayern, Barca, Atleti, etc. unless you can control the middle because they will impose their rhythm on you otherwise.

That's why I thought that Conte really messed up. With Pogba, Vidal, Marchisio and Pirlo, he should have done a whole lot better.

Juve has a good team... but they're not favored to win CL by any stretch of the imagination. It's the same teams on top. Juve are in the next tier. Making the semis would be a success for Juve imo.

@sportsczy Asamoah can lift up Juventus! If he stays fit, he has the chance to be a very valuable player for Juve this season. Maybe he didn't shine until now, but it's not too late.

Regarding Pjanic, he is already top class, his game can only improve at Juventus in my opinion.

The real question marks for me are:

1. Marchisio and Khedira - if they will be able to come back as strong as they were before

2. Sturaro and Lemina - both are young (23 and 22), one of them plays for the NT of Italy; exciting prospects but nothing very special so far

If both questions prove to be solved in the best way for Juve, I would say that they have a pretty strong midfield, capable to be part of a squad which want to compete for UCL. Talking theoretically, based on stats, looking on the paper or whatever you want to call it, they may look inferior to the midfield compartments of Barca / Real / Atletico Madrid / Bayern and even considering that Juve's squad or midfield is a level under the teams listed above, it doesn't mean that there is a considerable difference in their chances to win the UCL.

Saying that making the semis would be a success is what I don't agree with. It wouldn't be a shame if they stop in the round of 16, but it also wouldn't be a surprise if they win the cup. Having Barca, Real, Atletico and Bayern dominating the last three years made us forget that in football everything is possible. This is what I think. And a reminder of what I've said should come soon. Maybe this year.

bookmark my post - Pjaca is the next big thing in football

Juve paid a million/KG. What a disgrace. WTF is wrong with these footballers?

Why don't we wait until the season actually starts to begin bashing players?

Higuain will deliver.

rincon wrote:Why don't we wait until the season actually starts to begin bashing players?

Higuain will deliver.

Why do I have to wait when I can see he is clearly overweight. Same thing with Aguero when he resumed with City.

At least Juve clearly got a lot of Higuain for their 95 million Euros

jibers wrote:

Juve paid a million/KG. What a disgrace. WTF is wrong with these footballers?

he looks a bit fat to me

Ya'll clearly mad that he's going to eat up all the defenses that Juventus play against this season

Think of all the space he'll make for Dybala when his gravitational force pulls in the back line of the team we play against

Doesn't Higgy always look a bit fat?

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Doesn't Higgy always look a bit fat?

Yeah, he was a "bigger" guy at Napoli.. it's just his body shape/build

But I'd say he's 10 pounds overweight or 6 months pregnant with either De Laurentiis, Marotta, Pogba or Raiola's baby -> stay tuned for the GL prediction thread

He'll lose that extra weight, Tevez had extra weight too when he joined and a lot of it. Plus he was always a bit chubby

Nice try Gonzalo

jibers wrote:

rincon wrote:Why don't we wait until the season actually starts to begin bashing players?

Higuain will deliver.

Why do I have to wait when I can see he is clearly overweight. Same thing with Aguero when he resumed with City.

Utd fans know best. Hint Rooney =)