With the Muharemović confirmation expected imminently and the bigger headlines dominated by Kolo Muani, Dibu Martínez, and Vicario, it would be easy to overlook two situations that are quietly complicating Juventus’s summer in the background. Arthur and Lois Openda represent, in their different ways, the most stubborn unresolved files in Carnevali’s in-tray — and on the eve of the squad’s departure for Asia, neither has moved meaningfully closer to a resolution.
Arthur: Pastorello at the Continassa — but No Deal in Sight
Wednesday evening brought a visit from Federico Pastorello, Arthur’s agent, to the Continassa — and the meeting did not produce the clean conclusion anyone at the club was hoping for. Two options were on the table. The first is a permanent sale: Juventus continue to hold out for approximately €10 million in transfer fee — a figure that Corinthians, the most realistic destination for the Brazilian, have flatly refused to contemplate paying. The second option is a consensual contract termination — but here too, Juventus have not extended a particularly generous hand towards Arthur’s demands, and the gap between what the player’s camp are asking for in compensation and what the club are prepared to offer remains significant.
The situation is reaching a critical point. Arthur is in the final year of a contract that has already been renegotiated on at least two previous occasions to reduce the annual impact on the wage bill. Spalletti intends to take a close personal look at the Brazilian during what remains of pre-season — not with any realistic expectation of reintegrating him into the squad, but simply to understand the situation at first hand. A European solution, which would be Arthur’s own preference, would be the most elegant outcome — but no concrete offer from European football has materialised. The coming days will be decisive.
Openda: Lens Talks Stall, Premier League Dream Lingers
The reports placing Openda on the verge of a loan to Lens have not been borne out. The French club is genuinely interested in the Belgian striker, but no agreement with Juventus has been reached. Both Monaco — from whom Juventus would, somewhat ironically, love to acquire Folarin Balogun in the opposite direction — and Frank Lampard’s Coventry City have also registered interest. It is the Premier League possibility that appeals most to Openda personally, who remains open to the experience of English football regardless of the size of the club involved.
Juventus have accepted the reality that a loan — potentially with an obligation to buy — is the only realistic formula for Openda’s departure. The club are also resigned to the need for patience: more time will bring more options, and the possibility of a larger club requiring an emergency loan later in the window cannot be discounted. For now, the waiting game continues — an uncomfortable state for a club that needs to clear wage costs and squad space before its own incoming business can be fully completed.
