In the mixed zone at Kansas City, after Argentina’s quarter-final victory over Switzerland, a DAZN journalist posed the question that every Juventus supporter has been asking all summer: “Will we be seeing you in Italy?”
Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez said nothing. He smiled — broadly, unmistakably — and kept walking. Then, as if to deflect the question entirely, he gestured towards Cristian Romero and offered a playful explanation: “He speaks Italian.” The smile, however, said considerably more than the words.
A Moment That Captures the State of Play
It is, of course, a brief, informal exchange in a busy mixed zone after a major international match — not a transfer statement, not a declaration of intent. But in the context of a summer in which Martínez has already agreed personal terms with Juventus, rejected all other approaches, and made his desire to move to Turin as clear as a player mid-tournament can make it, the smile carries weight.
For Juventus supporters watching from Turin, the clip has become the defining image of the goalkeeper pursuit — a moment of warmth and complicity that reinforces what is already well established: Martínez wants to come, and he is enjoying the speculation rather than dismissing it.
Where the Negotiation Stands
The only obstacle, as it has been throughout, is the fee. Juventus consider Aston Villa’s demand of €12 million or more for a 33-year-old goalkeeper excessive, and Carnevali is working to bring the agreement down to between €7 and €8 million — a figure that reflects the goalkeeper’s age, the balance sheet value, and the constraints imposed by the UEFA Settlement Agreement.
Fresh contacts between the two clubs are scheduled for this week, with both parties aware that the World Cup is advancing and that the window to complete this deal cleanly — before PSG’s patience over Kolo Muani expires, before Spalletti’s frustration over the goalkeeping position becomes critical — is narrowing.
The smile from Kansas City is not a signature. But it is, in its own quiet way, as close to a commitment as anyone could hope for from a goalkeeper still three matches away from an Argentine World Cup final. Carnevali needs to bridge the gap with Villa. The player, in his way, has already done his part.
