Michele Di Gregorio’s Juventus story is over — and the destination that will write the next chapter is Olympique Marseille. According to Tuttosport’s Nicolò Schira, the French club have held two conference calls with both Juventus and the goalkeeper’s representatives in the past 72 hours, with all parties finding full openness to a deal. With Vicario’s arrival having served as the final tombstone on his bianconero adventure, the separation that has been building all summer is now approaching its formal conclusion.
An Illness That Spared Everyone an Awkward Afternoon
The flu that kept Di Gregorio away from Sunday’s Next Gen friendly at the Allianz Stadium proved, in its own way, a merciful coincidence. As Tuttosport notes with characteristic directness, his absence spared both player and club the forced smiles and institutional embarrassment of sharing a pitch for one final, pointless occasion. The two parties are, in every meaningful sense, already separated. The paperwork is the only formality outstanding.
Why Marseille — and Why It Moves Quickly
Marseille’s interest is driven by an immediate and genuine need. Geronimo Rulli has departed for Manchester City, leaving the Vélodrome without an established first-choice goalkeeper. Di Gregorio represents an experienced, proven Serie A-level option who is available on loan — the only formula Marseille’s current financial position allows — and who has given his full personal agreement to the move. The French club are willing to cover his wages in full, mirroring the Openda-to-Lyon structure that Juventus used successfully earlier in the window.
Massara’s Decisive Role
The detail that is likely to prove most operationally significant is the relationship between Massara and Marseille — one built across multiple transfer dealings during his tenures at Rennes and Roma, where numerous deals between the two clubs were concluded on the basis of personal trust and direct communication. That pre-existing channel gives both sides every incentive to move swiftly.
Di Gregorio heads to Marseille. Vicario arrives in Turin. The goalkeeper chapter of Juventus’s summer — the longest, most exhausting, and most surprising of all — is finally, definitively closed.
