Gonzalo Higuain has played the bulk of his career in the shadow of more illustrious teammates at club and international levels, but the business of soccer has pushed him further into the limelight.
Higuain on Tuesday completed a £75.3 million (€90 million/$99 million) transfer from Napoli to Juventus, the Italian clubs announced on Twitter. Juventus will pay the mammoth fee, which equals Higuain’s release clause, in two installments over the next year.
OFFICIAL: Gonzalo Higuain joins Juventus on a five-year deal: https://t.co/m1Zo30ikKs #BienvenidoPipita pic.twitter.com/9CsVcHpCld
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) July 26, 2016
La Juventus Football Club ha esercitato la clausola rescissoria per l’acquisizione delle prestazioni sportive di Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain.
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) July 26, 2016
The transfer sets a record for the highest fee paid between two teams in the same domestic league, surpassing Fernando Torres’ £50 million move from Liverpool to Chelsea in 2011. The transfer fee also makes Higuain the third most-expensive player in history, trailing just Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Higuain also is third all-time in accumulated transfer fees.
Most expensive footballers of all-time:
1. Gareth Bale – £85m
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – £80m
3. Gonzalo Higuain – £75m pic.twitter.com/7ZzSMQgtIR— PurelyFootball ℗ (@PurelyFootball) July 26, 2016
Gonzalo Higuain is now the third most expensive footballer of all-time in single (€94M) and combined (€144M) fees 💰 pic.twitter.com/6Qmfs7YdEB
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 26, 2016
The Argentinian striker already has enjoyed three successful seasons in Italian soccer, and his 2015-16 campaign will live long in the memories of Serie A (Italian first division) fans everywhere.
71 – Since his debut, Gonzalo Higuain has scored 24 more goals than any other Serie A player (71). Lethal. pic.twitter.com/ToLspUopym
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 26, 2016
385 – Higuain fired 385 shots in Serie A since 2013/14, at least 60 more than any other player in this period. Bomb. pic.twitter.com/zZNqMEjSaL
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) July 26, 2016
Higuain set the Serie A goals record last season with 36. No one else in Serie A scored more than 19 last season. https://t.co/MCaRlcRJRR
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 26, 2016
By signing Higuain, Juventus, Serie A’s champion in each of the last five seasons, has improved its strike force following Alvaro Morata’s return to Real Madrid earlier this month and Carlos Tevez’s return to Boca Juniors a year ago. More importantly, Juventus has weakened Napoli, the team that finished second last season, and strengthened its grip on domestic supremacy.
Higuain should enjoy his time in the spotlight now, because Juventus might sell Paul Pogba to Manchester United or Real Madrid. Pogba undoubtedly would command a larger fee than Higuain, on whom Juventus is counting to soften the blow of the French midfielder’s eventual exit.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
