While Angel Di Maria was preparing to take on Italy in the Finalissima at Wembley, Juventus representatives were in London for showdown talks with the player’s agents.
But while the winger enjoyed a brilliant performance on the pitch – scoring Argentina’s second goal of the evening – the negotiations between the parties were apparently far less successful.
According to Corriere dello Sport via ilBianconero, the length of the contract remains the main obstacle in the negotiations between Juventus and Di Maria.
The 34-year-old is adamant on signing a one-year deal as he’s looking to return to Argentina 12 months in the hopes of ending his career at Rosario Central.
However, this doesn’t exactly suit the Bianconeri’s interest, as the Italians need to put the player’s signature on a two-year contract in order to take advantage of the Growth Decree (which allows Italian clubs to save 50% on taxes related to the wages of players signed from abroad).
Therefore, Juventus would only accept to forge a one-year deal with lower wages, but this last proposal didn’t exactly warm the winger’s heart.
Therefore, the negotiations have reportedly reached a stalemate, but more rounds of talks should take place in the coming days.
As for Di Maria himself, he shrugged off all transfer talks in his post-match interview, saying that his priorities currently lie elsewhere.
“Are they waiting for me in Italy? We have to remain calm,” he told ESPN via ilBianconero.
“For now I’m only thinking about the national team, then of my family and the holidays. Then in the future we’ll talk about the transfer market.”
