The Moroccan striker is the chosen one to bolster Spalletti’s squad: negotiations are focused on bonuses to satisfy Fenerbahçe. It’s unlikely he’ll be available for the Napoli match

Youssef En-Nesyri is one step away from Juve: negotiations are underway in Istanbul, where Bianconeri sporting director Marco Ottolini has been working for the past few days. The Fenerbahce striker is the chosen one to add that extra element to the squad that Luciano Spalletti has requested: a physical presence who can occupy the opponent’s penalty area better than the other forwards on the roster, thereby fully compensating for the injury-induced absence of Dusan Vlahovic (who is also in the final year of his contract). Negotiations have entered the final phase: discussions are focused on bonuses to bridge the gap with Fenerbahçe’s asking price, as the Turkish club has already agreed to a temporary transfer without an obligation to buy.

behind-the-scenes—  Ottolini’s mission began midweek, after securing the player’s approval and the Turkish club’s willingness to meet Juve’s demands: relations with Fenerbahce are good, strengthened by Kostic’s loan last season. The Juventus executive’s work in Turkey focused on two areas: sending a strong signal of support to the player—who has also attracted interest from other teams—and holding firm on the deal based on a 5-million-euro loan, with a buyout clause set at 20 million plus 3 million in bonuses. In short, the absence of Juve’s sporting director at the Stadium for the last Champions League match was well justified: Spalletti may have the extra striker he needs to settle a few tough matches between now and the end of the season.