Juventus are set to miss out on a combined 57 million euros in potential transfer income this summer after loan deals for Nico Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz failed to trigger mandatory purchase clauses. According to reports from Italy, Atletico Madrid will not be obliged to buy Gonzalez for 32 million euros, while Aston Villa have also opted against making Douglas Luiz's move permanent for 25 million euros.
The situation surrounding Nico Gonzalez has been clear for some time. The Argentine winger joined Atletico Madrid last September on a loan with a conditional obligation to buy if he made 21 appearances of at least 45 minutes in La Liga. However, a muscular injury suffered this week, which will sideline him for at least three weeks, has definitively ruled out him reaching that threshold. Despite three separate physical setbacks this season, Gonzalez has had a positive campaign under Diego Simeone, making 21 total appearances across all competitions and scoring five goals.
With the mandatory clause now void, Atletico Madrid are expected to open negotiations with Juventus in the summer in an attempt to lower the fee to around 20 million euros. Should the two clubs fail to agree, Juventus would face a decision on the 26-year-old's future. They could attempt to broker a deal with another club, potentially leveraging his upcoming involvement in the Copa America, or reintegrate him into their own squad for new manager Luciano Spalletti, who is a known admirer of the player's versatility and character.
The case of Douglas Luiz is more problematic for the Bianconeri. The Brazilian midfielder, who joined Juventus from Aston Villa in 2022 for a reported 22 million euros, failed to impress during his first season in Turin, making only six starts. He was subsequently sent on two separate loans this season, first to Nottingham Forest and then back to Aston Villa in January, both with conditional purchase options. According to the report, he failed to meet the appearance thresholds at both clubs, with Forest declining their option mid-season and Villa using him only during an injury crisis before relegating him to the bench.
Luiz's last start was on March 19 in the Europa League, and he has since played only 88 minutes from a possible 720. He now returns to a Juventus squad where he is not in the plans, yet remains under contract until 2029 with a substantial net salary of 5 million euros per year. With his book value still close to 30 million euros, finding a club willing to take on his salary and reignite his career is seen as a significant challenge for Juventus's sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli. The collapse of these two deals represents a major financial setback, stripping the club of funds they had anticipated being able to reinvest in the upcoming transfer window.
