A few days ago, journalist Mirko Di Natale suggested that Everton and Newcastle United have rekindled their interest in Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti.
The defender’s situation has attracted the attention of the Premier League once again, especially now that no progress has taken place over a new contract.
Di Natale spoke to AreaNapoli yesterday about the centre-back and he once again focused on interest from both Everton and Newcastle United.
In his interview, the journalist also provided more detail on why Gatti can end up departing the Bianconeri in the summer transfer window.
When asked about whether Juve could actually sell the Italian, Di Natale said:
“I don’t think so. There is strong interest not only from Napoli, but also from the Premier League. The defender has a lot of appeal: already in the summer.”
He also spoke about approaches from both Newcastle United and Everton in the summer.
“There were enquiries from Everton and Newcastle, and Juve never opened up about the sale. The club does not intend to let him go. Why these rumours, then? Because Juventus has worked to reach a renewal that, to date, has not yet been signed.”
Di Natale also revealed that Juve’s asking price for the centre-back has risen..
He said: “What is the right price to tempt Juve and make them waver on the sale of Gatti? If a big offer were to arrive, really high, then Gatti would be transferable. Last year they needed €25m, but this year the figure would rise to €30-€35m. Even €40m, if you want.”
Whether the Toffees or the Magpies make their move for the 26-year-old remains to be seen, but he has shown a fair amount of weaknesses on the ball during his time in Turin and perhaps the Premier League pair are being used to pressure Juventus into offering more money.
Known for being a pure defender, Gatti isn’t too proficient on the ball and that could end up hampering his opportunity of playing in the Premier League in the near future.
