The goalkeeping revolution at Juventus continues to produce its final chapters on Monday morning — and the sequence of events at the Stirpe Stadium on Sunday evening has accelerated the conclusion of every outstanding piece of business between the posts.
Perin’s Perfect Farewell — and the Crossbar That Made It Memorable
It could not have been scripted better. Spalletti had asked Mattia Perin to remain available for the Frosinone opener precisely because, as a man with thirty years of football experience, he understood that in this game you can never be entirely certain. And so it proved: Vicario’s cramp in the 90th minute — only cramp, nothing structural, but frightening enough to make the goalkeeper himself request substitution immediately — brought Perin into the match for one final Juventus appearance that included the crossbar, the last ball, and one characteristically assured aerial claim. A genuinely perfect goodbye.
The deal that will formally end Perin’s Juventus career is expected to be confirmed today. He joins Palermo on a permanent basis — a modest indemnity to Juventus in exchange — on a two-year contract at approximately €1.8 million per season, with an option for a third year should the Sicilian club win promotion. For a goalkeeper of 34 who has served the club with unwavering professionalism, it is a conclusion that respects the man and offers him the regular first-team football that the Continassa could no longer guarantee.
Grabara: Agreement with the Player, Negotiations with Wolfsburg Ongoing
The name that will fill Perin’s shirt — most probably — is Kamil Grabara. The 27-year-old Polish international, standing 195 centimetres and currently without a club following his decision to make himself available for transfer from Wolfsburg after going unused in their opening fixtures, has already reached a broad personal agreement with Juventus on the terms of a loan with right of purchase.
The outstanding details concern the structure of the deal with the German club: specifically the final financial terms and, crucially, whether Wolfsburg will sanction a loan that gives Juventus only the right — not the obligation — to purchase at the end of the season. That point of detail remains to be resolved, and further contacts between the two clubs are expected on Monday morning.
One principle is non-negotiable for Juventus: Perin will not be allowed to depart until the Grabara deal is formally confirmed. There is no scenario in which the club enters the week’s Europa League qualifier with only Vicario and Pinsoglio available. The dominoes must fall in the right order.
Di Gregorio: Bournemouth Confirmation Expected Today
On the other side of the goalkeeping ledger, Michele Di Gregorio’s move to Bournemouth is expected to be made official on Monday. The deal — a loan with a right of purchase fixed at €15 million, with a €1.5 million penalty clause should the English club decline to exercise that option — brings to a close a difficult and at times acrimonious relationship between goalkeeper, club, and supporters that had no viable path to continuation. Di Gregorio goes to the Premier League to rebuild. Bournemouth get an experienced goalkeeper. Juventus clear a wage and a number from the squad list that had become impossible to maintain.
Vicario’s Debut: Reassurance Rather Than Revelation — and That Was Exactly Enough
The first competitive appearance of Vicario in black and white produced, as Tuttosport’s Cristiano Corbo characterises it, something substantial rather than sensational. It was precisely what the situation required. The most telling detail was one of negation: Juventus did not concede a goal from the first shot on target — an outcome that, given how frequently it happened last season, feels like progress in itself. There was nothing approaching a standing ovation. But there was competence, assurance, and the sense of a goalkeeper who will give the back four the platform to perform without anxiety. For a club that began this summer with the ambition to land Alisson and Martínez, landing up with Vicario represents a philosophical adjustment. For the nine months ahead, it may yet prove entirely sufficient.
