Juventus turns to Martinez and leaves Maignan with no way out

Juventus Turin has turned its back on Mike Maignan. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Turin club, initially presented as the favourite to sign the French international, has dropped the pursuit in the face of AC Milan’s asking price: between €40 and €50 million, a sum deemed too high by the Bianconeri hierarchy.

Yet Maignan’s situation at Milan seemed to favour a departure. Despite a contract extension signed on 31 January through 2031, the France goalkeeper was reportedly shaken by the sacking of his manager Massimiliano Allegri and keen to move on. Contacts were apparently made with Juventus, but they came to nothing.

The Bianconeri have therefore repositioned themselves on Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine goalkeeper at Aston Villa, 2022 World Cup winner and victor in last season’s Ligue Europa, is himself seeking a new challenge after sensing he had reached the end of a cycle in England. His profile appeals to Juventus all the more because he represents a significantly less costly option: Transfermarkt values him at €12 million, compared to several tens of millions for Maignan.

One major obstacle remains, however: Martinez’s salary, set at €7 million per year, exceeds the club’s wage criteria. Juventus will need to convince the Argentine, under contract until 2029, to accept a downward revision of his pay for the transfer to go through.

The Old Lady had also suffered several rejections from Liverpool regarding Alisson, which explains the urgency of finding a viable solution in goal. For Maignan, the matter remains in limbo: without a buyer matching his ambitions, the 28-year-old goalkeeper could find himself forced to stay at Milan despite his desire to leave.