The Jhon Lucumí transfer is almost done. According to Calciomercato, Juventus and the Colombian centre-back have already reached full personal agreement on a five-year contract worth approximately €2.5 million per season — a deal that has been in place for some time and that represents no obstacle whatsoever to completion. The only remaining work is between the two clubs themselves.
Bologna Want Cash — and Only Cash
The sticking point is structural as much as financial. Bologna are not interested in player exchanges. Juventus attempted to include both Fabio Miretti and Juan Cabal as makeweights to reduce the cash element of the deal, but the Emilian club rejected both proposals without serious discussion. A Koopmeiners inclusion has also been floated internally but is considered little more than wishful thinking given the Dutch midfielder’s significant wage demands.
The bottom line is simple: Bologna want money. A clean, straightforward cash transaction.
The Fee: €20 Million Fixed Plus Achievable Bonuses
Juventus are now prepared to offer €20 million as a fixed base payment, with additional performance-related bonuses that are described as “easily achievable” — bringing the total potential outlay to a figure that meaningfully bridges the gap with Bologna’s asking price of €25 million. The two clubs are close. The difference, in the context of a deal both sides want to conclude, is now a matter of final negotiation rather than fundamental disagreement.
The Sidebar That Changes Everything
The trending bar on the Calciomercato page reveals a stunning parallel development: Bologna have reportedly asked for Koopmeiners as part of the Lucumí deal — a development that, whilst flagged by Carnevali and Massara as primarily a “suggestion” rather than a concrete request, nonetheless represents a creative possibility that could simultaneously solve two of Juventus’s most pressing problems. Moving Koopmeiners — one of the summer’s most financially burdensome surplus players — to Bologna as part of the Lucumí arrangement would clear significant wage costs, generate a degree of capital, and deliver the centre-back Spalletti has requested. It is the kind of interconnected solution that defines the Carnevali method at its best. Whether Bologna’s interest in the Dutch midfielder is genuine enough to form the basis of a concrete proposal will become clear within days.
For now, the personal deal with Lucumí is done. The club-to-club negotiation is approaching its conclusion. The defender Spalletti has been waiting for all summer is within touching distance.
